LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


GIFT    OF 


^ 

Class 


THE  BIBLE  FOR  HOME  AND  SCHOOL 

SHAILER  MATHEWS,  GENERAL  EDITOR 

PROFESSOR  OF  HISTORICAL  AND  COMPARATIVE  THEOLOGY 
THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO 


GENESIS 

HINCKLEY  G.   MITCHELL 


THE   BIBLE    FOR   HOME   AND    SCHOOL 

SHAILER   MATHEWS,  GENERAL  EDITOR 


GENESIS 

BY  PROFESSOR  H.  G.  MITCHELL 
ACTS 

BY  PROFESSOR  GEORGE  H.  GILBERT 
HEBREWS 

BY  PROFESSOR  E.  J.  GOODSPEED 

VOLUMES  IN  PREPARATION 
GALATIANS 

BY  PROFESSOR  B.  W.  BACON 
I   SAMUEL 

BY  PROFESSOR  L.  W.  BATTEN 
PSALMS 

BY  REVEREND  J.  P.  PETERS 
ISAIAH 

BY  PROFESSOR  JOHN  E.  MCFADYEN 
JUDGES 

BY  PROFESSOR  EDWARD  L.  CURTIS 
JOB 

BY  PROFESSOR  GEORGE  A.  BARTON 
AMOS,   HOSEA,   AND    MICAH 

BY  PROFESSOR  J.  M.  P.  SMITH 
MARK 

BY  PROFESSOR  M.  W.  JACOBUS 
JOHN 

BY  PROFESSOR  SHAILER  MATHEWS 
ROMANS 

BY  PROFESSOR  E.  I.  BOSWORTH 
EPHESIANS,  COLOSSIANS,  AND   PHILEMON 

BY  REVEREND  GROSS  ALEXANDER 


THE  BIBLE  FOR  HOME  AND  SCHOOL 


GENESIS 


BY 

HINCKLEY   G.    MITCHELL,  PH.D.,  D.D. 


gorfc 

THE   MACMILLAN    COMPANY 
1909 

All  rights  reserved 


COPYRIGHT,  1909, 
BY  THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.     Published  September,  1909. 


The  references  «\the  foot-notes  marked  "  S.V."  are  to  the  American  Standard 
Edition  of  the  Re  vised  ^B/bl£.     Cop£ri#htJ  190^,  2>y*Jhomas  Nelson  &  Sons. 

BY  PERMISSION  OF"  THE:  PUBLISHERS. 


J.  8.  Gushing  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith  Co. 
Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


GENERAL    INTRODUCTION 

THE  BIBLE  FOR  HOME  AND  SCHOOL  is  intended  to  place 
the  results  of  the  best  modern  biblical  scholarship  at  the 
disposal  of  the  general  reader.  It  does  not  seek  to  dupli- 
cate other  commentaries  to  which  the  student  must  turn. 
Its  chief  characteristics  are  (a)  its  rigid  exclusion  of  all 
processes,  both  critical  and  exegetical,  from  its  notes ; 
(&)  its  presupposition  and  its  use  of  the  assured  results 
of  historical  investigation  and  criticism  wherever  such 
results  throw  light  on  the  biblical  text ;  (c)  its  running 
analysis  both  in  text  and  comment ;  (</)  its  brief  explana- 
tory notes  adapted  to  the  rapid  reader ;  (e)  its  thorough 
but  brief  Introductions  ;  (/)  its  use  of  the  Revised  Version 
of  1 88 1,  supplemented  with  all  important  renderings  in 
other  versions. 

Biblical  science  has  progressed  rapidly  during  the  past 
few  years,  but  the  reader  still  lacks  a  brief,  comprehensive 
commentary  that  shall  extend  to  him  in  usable  form  mate- 
rial now  at  the  disposition  of  the  student.  It  is  hoped 
that  in  this  series  the  needs  of  intelligent  Sunday  School 
teachers  have  been  met,  as  well  as  those  of  clergymen 
and  lay  readers,  and  that  in  scope,  purpose,  and  loyalty 
to  the  Scriptures  as  a  foundation  of  Christian  thought  and 
life,  its  volumes  will  stimulate  the  intelligent  use  of  the 
Bible  in  the  home  and  the  school. 

SHAILER   MATHEWS. 


235419 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTION i 

I.    THE  LITERARY  RELATIONS  OF  GENESIS        ...  2 

II.    THE  COMPOSITION  OF  GENESIS 3 

1.  The  Judean  Document  (J) 5 

2.  The  Ephraimite  Document  (E)     .         .         .         .II 

3.  The  First  Redactor  (R  or  RJ)  16 

4.  The  Second  Redactor  (RD)  16 

5.  The  Priestly  Document  (P) 1 6 

III.  THE  ANALYSIS  OF  GENESIS 20 

IV.  BIBLIOGRAPHY 25 

THE  COMMENTARY 29 

APPENDIX    .                        375 

Note  A.     Comparative  Chronology  of  the  Antediluvians   .  375 

Note  B.    The  Table  of  the  Nations 376 

Note  C.     The  Line  of  Shem 377 

Note  D.    The  Sons  of  Benjamin 378 

INDEX 379 


vii 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  book  of  Genesis  is  one  of  the  most  popular  in  the 
Old  Testament.  The  reasons  for  its  popularity,  or  some  of 
them,  are  easily  discovered.  In  the  first  place  there  are 
parts  of  it  that  are  written  in  a  style  which  not  only  charms 
the  simple,  but  fills  the  most  cultured  with  admiration. 
Then,  too,  it  is  largely  cast  in  the  form  of  personal  experi- 
ence ;  and  there  is  nothing  more  interesting  to  human  beings 
than  the  doings  and  sufferings  of  their  kind,  no  method  of 
instruction  more  agreeable  to  those  who  have  any  desire 
to  learn  than  that  by  means  of  such  concrete  examples. 
Finally,  the  way  in  which  God  is  generally  presented  is  well 
calculated  to  impress  the  average  reader  with  the  reality 
of  his  presence  in  the  world  and  the  possibility  of  securing 
his  favor. 

A  book  like  Genesis  naturally  appeals,  not  only  to  large 
numbers,  but  to  various  classes  of  people,  some  of  whom  take 
little  interest  in  religion.  Thus  there  are  those  who  read 
it  only  for  its  literary  excellence,  and  others  who  search  it 
solely  for  curious  information  about  the  primeval  world. 
Few,  however,  of  any  class,  even  the  most  devout,  fully 
appreciate  its  value.  There  are  whole  chapters  of  it  that 
yield  them  nothing,  and  many  other  passages  from  which 
they  get  less  than  the  full  meaning.  One  reason  for  so 
scanty  results  is  that  the  book  is  really  not  easy  to  master. 
It  is  like  a  mine  some  of  whose  wealth  lies  near  the  surface. 
It  yields  a  fair  profit  without  much  expense  of  skill  or  effort, 
but  it  will  not  produce  as  it  should  unless  it  is  worked  in  the 
best  way  and  with  a  deal  of  patient  labor.  The  writer, 
accepting  these  terms,  proposes  to  make  a  fresh  study  of 
it,  hoping,  by  the  use  of  modern  methods,  to  obtain  for 


INTRODUCTION 


himself  ana  any  who  do  him  the  honor  to  follow  him  much 
more  satisfactory  results  of  various  kinds  than  are  now  ob- 
tained by  the  average  reader. 

The  success  of  this  effort  to  increase  the  output  of  Genesis 
will  depend  largely  on  the  amount  of  thought  given  to  a  de- 
tailed examination  of  it,  but,  as  above  intimated,  the  method 
pursued  is  also  very  important.  In  fact,  the  chief  hindrance 
to  the  fruitful  study  of  the  book  in  the  past  has  been  the  use 
of  false  methods.  Those  who  sought  to  understand  it  did 
not  know  how  to  approach  it.  But  the  method  of  reading 
a  book  depends  on  the  method  by  which  it  was  produced. 
It  is  therefore,  in  this  case,  best  to  follow  the  usual  custom 
and,  before  proceeding  to  explain  the  text  verse  by  verse, 
take  a  preliminary  survey  of  it  as  a  whole,  with  special  refer- 
ence to  its  origin  and  history.  The  general  idea  thus  ob- 
tained will  throw  light  on  the  various  parts  and  make  them 
more  easily  understood  and  appreciated. 

I.  THE  LITERARY  RELATIONS  OF  GENESIS 

The  fact  with  reference  to  Genesis  as  a  whole  that  first 
deserves  mention  in  this  connection  is  that  it  is  not  a  separate 
and  independent  work.  This  becomes  clear  when  one  reads 
it  in  connection  with  the  books  that  follow.  Thus  the  very 
first  words  of  Exodus  presuppose  an  account  of  the  migra- 
tion of  Jacob  from  Canaan  to  Egypt  such  as  is  found  in 
Gen.  46  :  7  f.,  and  there  are  many  similar  references.  Com- 
pare Ex.  6  :  3  with  Gen.  17  :  i,  Ex.  13  :  19  with  Gen.  50  : 
24,  etc.  In  all  the  cases  cited  one  can  see,  not  only  that  the 
same  event  is  intended,  but  that  the  same  author  wrote 
both  passages.  Indeed,  the  connection  between  these  two 
books,  neither  of  which  originally  had  a  title,  is  about  as 
close  as  it  is  between  the  different  parts  of  either  of  them. 
In  the  same  way  it  can  be  shown  that  Genesis  is  bound  to 
the  other  three  books ;  in  other  words,  that  it  is  the  intro- 
ductory part  of  the  Pentateuch.  Moreover,  since  Joshua  is 
merely  a  continuation  of  the  Pentateuch,  and  the  books  of 

2 


INTRODUCTION 


Judges,  Samuel,  and  Kings  are  composed  to  some  extent 
of  the  same  elements,  there  is  ground  for  regarding  this 
work  as  an  introduction  to  the  series  of  historical  books 
in  which  the  Hebrews  traced  the  history  of  their  origin  and 
their  development  as  a  people  from  the  beginning  to  the 
Exile. 

II.  THE  COMPOSITION  OF  GENESIS 

There  is  a  second  fact  that  will  require  more  extended 
consideration;  viz.  that  the  book  of  Genesis,  although  it 
has  a  certain  kind  of  unity,  is  not  the  work  of  one  author,  or 
even  of  a  single  period.  This,  it  must  be  admitted,  is  a 
comparatively  recent  doctrine.  The  more  ancient  opinion 
is  that  the  whole  Pentateuch,  with  the  possible  exception 
of  the  last  eight  verses  of  Deuteronomy,  was  written  by 
Moses.  It  is  a  mistake,  however,  to  claim  that  this  latter 
is  taught  in  the  Pentateuch  or  in  any  of  the  following  books 
from  Joshua  to  Kings.  It  is  found  first  in  the  books  of 
Chronicles.  The  passage  bearing  on  it  which  is  of  most 
interest  in  the  present  connection  is  Ne.  9  :  6  ff.,  from  which 
it  appears  that,  about  300  B.C.,  Genesis  was  recognized  as  a 
part  of  the  law  of  Moses.  From  this  time  onward  the 
Mosaic  authorship  of  the  Pentateuch  was  an  article  of 
faith  among  the  Jews.  The  Talmud  teaches  it,  and  so, 
also,  do  the  great  Jewish  authorities  Philo  and  Josephus. 
From  the  Jewish  it  passed  as  a  legacy  to  the  Christian 
Church,  in  which  for  centuries  it  was  transmitted  without 
question.  Indeed,  so  strong,  until  recently,  has  been  its 
hold  upon  believers  that  the  Revisers  did  not  venture  to 
discard  it,  but  retained  the  old  titles,  calling  Genesis,  for 
example,  "The  First  Book  of  Moses." 

The  reasons  for  abandoning  the  teaching  of  tradition  on 
this  subject  are  briefly  as  follows:  i.  None  of  the  books  of 
the  Pentateuch,  least  of  all  Genesis,  claims  to  have  been 
written  by  Moses.  2.  There  is  no  evidence  in  the  earlier 
books  outside  of  the  Pentateuch  to  prove  that  the  Jews 
attributed  the  whole  of  it  to  the  lawgiver.  3.  The  differ- 

3 


INTRODUCTION 


ences,  not  only  in  language  and  composition,  but  of  doctrine 
and  standpoint,  between  different  parts,  even  when  the 
subject  is  the  same,  cannot  be  explained  on  the  supposition 
that  the  whole,  even  of  Genesis,  is  the  work  of  one  author. 
4.  The  traces  of  acquaintance  with  events  that  ^occurred, 
and  ideas  that  arose,  long  after  the  Exodus  make  it  impos- 
sible to  believe  that  either  of  the  works  on  which  the  Pen- 
tateuch was  based  was  written  by  Moses,  or  any  person  or 
persons  of  his  time.  For  a  fuller  discussion  of  these  points 
see  Mitchell,  The  World  before  Abraham,  17  ff.;  Driver, 
Introduction,  8  ff. 

The  view  preferred  by  most  modern  biblical  scholars  to 
the  one  just  described  may  be  briefly  stated  as  follows: 
The  Pentateuch  was  compiled  from  four  separate  works, 
written  at  different  periods,  the  last  three  being  united  one 
after  another  with  the  oldest  by  a  succession  of  editors. 
Three  of  these  works  were  used  in  Genesis.  The  oldest  is 
supposed  to  have  been  written  by  a  native  of  Judea  as  early 
as  the  reign  of  Jehoshaphat  (878-843  B.C.)  ;  the  second  by 
an  Ephraimite,  or  native  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  probably 
under  Jeroboam  II.  (785-745  B.C.).  These  two  were  first 
united,  but  not  until  after  650  B.C.,  when  both  of  them  had 
been  more  or  less  revised  and  enlarged  by  later  writers. 
Meanwhile,  in  the  reign  of  Manasseh  (686-640  B.C.),  there 
had  been  produced  another  work,  some  form  of  Deuter- 
onomy, which,  on  being  made  public  in  621  B.C.,  became  the 
program  of  Josiah's  reformation.  It  was  probably  added 
to  the  previous  compilation  soon  after  the  beginning  of  the 
Exile  (586-538  B.C.).  Finally  a  priestly  writer,  or  school  of 
writers,  during  and  after  the  Exile,  produced  a  fourth  work, 
which  Ezra  seems  to  have  brought  with  him  from  Babylon 
in  458  B.C.,  and,  with  the  help  of  Nehemiah,  persuaded  the 
Jews  to  accept,  either  separately  or  as  a  part  of  the  practically 
complete  Pentateuch,  in  444  B.C.  This,  in  outline,  is  the 
more  prevalent  form  of  the  so-called  Documentary  Hypoth- 
esis. Applied  to  Genesis,  it  means  that  the  book  is  composed 
of  parts  taken  from  the  first  two  and  the  last  of  the  works 

4 


INTRODUCTION 


mentioned,  fitted  together  with  more  or  less  skill  to  make  a 
continuous  narrative  covering  the  period  from  the  begin- 
ning of  history  to  the  death  of  Joseph. 

The  modern  scholar  adopts  the  theory  above  outlined  to 
account  for  Genesis  as  he  finds  it,  but  he  does  not  stop  there. 
He  argues  that  the  marks  by  which  he  detected  its  com- 
posite character  ought  to  enable  him  to  reverse  the  process 
of  the  compiler,  and  he  proceeds  to  separate  from  one  an- 
other the  elements  of  which  it  is  composed.  The  result  is 
.exceedingly  interesting.  He  finds  that,  instead  of  one 
rather  confusing  narrative,  he  has  three,  fairly  complete  and 
consistent  in  themselves,  whose  divergences  from  one  an- 
other only  make  them  in  some  respects  more  valuable. 

I.    THE  JUDEAN  DOCUMENT   (j) 

The  oldest  of  the  three,  as  has  already  been  remarked,  is 
the  Judean.  It  is  more  frequently  called  the  Jahvistic 
(pronounced  Yahvistic),  and  cited  by  the  abbreviation  J, 
because  in  it  the  Deity  is  generally  called  Jahveh,  or,  more 
correctly,  Yahweh.  It  contains  considerable  material 
earlier  than  the  ninth  century  B.C.  Thus,  the  so-called 
Blessing  of  Jacob  (49  :  i  ff.)  must  have  been  written  at  least 
a  century  before  the  reign  of  Jehoshaphat,  and  some  of  the 
stories  in  the  earlier  chapters  probably  came  from  an  even 
more  remote  period.  See  6  :  i  ff. ;  n  :  i  ff. ;  etc.  The 
character  of  this  narrative  is  such  as  one  would  expect  in  a 
work  of  the  period  that  produced  Micaiah  and  Elijah.  In 
the  first  place,  it  is  more  picturesque  and  poetical  than  either 
of  the  others.  A  good  example  of  this  characteristic  is 
found  in  the  second  account  of  creation,  2:7,  where  God 
is  pictured  as  "moulding"  man,  as  a  potter  would  fashion  a 
dish,  "breathing"  into  his  nostrils  to  give  him  life,  and 
"planting"  a  garden  for  his  benefit;  every  verb  suggesting 
a  separate  scene.  The  same  gift  is  displayed  in  a  larger  way 
in  the  delightful  description  of  the  meeting  between  Jacob 
and  Rachel,  29:25.  In  some  instances  it  is  combined  with 

5 


INTRODUCTION 


a  dramatic  power  that  is  wonderful.  A  simple  illustration 
of  such  a  combination  is  found  in  the  scene  in  the  garden 
(3  :  10  f.),  where,  in  reply  to  Adam's  excuse  for  hiding  him- 
self, Yahweh  asks,  "Who  told  thee  that  thou  wast  naked?" 
And  what  could  be  more  thrillingly  dramatic  than  the  situa- 
tion produced  when  Joseph,  in  44  :  17,  announces  his  de- 
cision to  send  his  other  brethren  back  to  Canaan  without 
Benjamin? 

The  Judean  narrative  is  characterized,  also,  by  the  rich- 
ness and  originality  of  its  content.  The  breadth  of  interest 
of  its  author,  or  authors,  appears  in  the  fact  that  it  not  only 
begins  with  an  account  of  creation,  and  traces  the  early 
growth  of  the  race,  but  that  in  4  :  17  ff.  and  9  :  20,  for  ex- 
ample, it  notes  the  origin  of  various  callings,  and  in  the 
later  chapters  introduces  into  the  history  of  the  chosen 
people  interesting  information  with  reference  to  related 
tribes  and  families.  See  19  :  30  ff. ;  22  :  20  ff. ;  36  :  31  ff. 
This,  however,  is  not  so  remarkable  as  the  impartial,  but 
always  sympathetic,  manner  in  which  it  presents  the  persons 
that  figure  most  prominently  in  Hebrew  history.  Thus, 
there  is  no  attempt  to  conceal  or  excuse  the  tradition  that 
Noah,  once  at  least,  drank  to  excess,  that  Isaac  lied  about 
his  wife,  or  that  Jacob  gained  his  wealth  in  a  contest  in 
cunning  with  his  rascally  father-in-law.  On  the  other  hand 
these  supposed  facts  are  related  with  apparent  appreciation. 
The  truth  in  the  case  is  that  the  author,  or  authors,  of  this 
narrative  looked  upon  them  as  illustrative  of  human  nature 
and  therefore  legitimate  literary  material.  He,  or  they,  did 
not,  however,  carry  this  realism  too  far:  for,  although 
women  are  throughout  depicted  as  rather  inferior  to  men,  — 
as  one  would  expect  in  so  ancient  a  writing,  —  in  the  case 
of  Lot's  daughters,  Dinah,  and  Tamar,  there  is  not  a  hint 
that  there  was  the  slightest  admixture  of  lust  in  the  motives 
for  their  actions;  and  in  the  story  of  the  temptation  of 
Joseph  the  Egyptian  lady  is  but  a  foil  for  the  splendid  chas- 
tity and  loyalty  of  her  Hebrew  servant. 

It  is  another  peculiarity  of  the  Judean  narrative  that  in  it 

6 


INTRODUCTION 


the  Deity — who,  as  has  been  remarked,  is  generally  called 
Yahweh,  except  in  the  story  of  Joseph  from  chapter  40  on- 
ward —  is  brought  into  much  closer  relations  with  mankind 
than  in  the  others  represented.  Indeed,  he  is  sometimes 
hardly  more  than  a  heroic  human  figure.  Thus  he  is  de- 
scribed as  taking  a  walk  in  the  garden  in  Eden  (3  :  8),  com- 
ing down  to  see  what  the  builders  of  Babel  were  doing  (i  i  17), 
dining  with  Abraham  (18  : 8),  and  even  wrestling  with  Jacob 
at  the  Jabbok  (33  :  24).  In  the  last  two  cases  he  is  called  a 
man,  which  means  that  he  actually  appeared  in  the  human 
form,  as  in  the  cases  where  he  is  called  the  angel  of  Yahweh. 
See  16  :  7,  9.  It  is  only  on  extraordinary  occasions,  like  the 
destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  that  he  assumes 
noticeably  superhuman  proportions.  Not  that,  even  in 
such  cases,  there  is  anything  surprising  in  his  appearance. 
He  is  so  much  a  part  of  the  experience  of  men  that  they 
expect  him,  not  only  to  help  them  in  every  honest  endeavor, 
but  to  correct,  or  even  destroy  them,  when  they  disregard  his 
known  wishes. 

Finally,  and  this  is  the  reason  why  it  is  called  Judean,  the 
narrative  now  under  examination,  broad  as  is  its  scope, 
sometimes  betrays  a  partiality  for  the  kingdom  of  Judah  and 
its  history.  Thus,  it  teaches  that  the  home  of  Abraham,  — 
and  probably  also  of  Jacob,  —  was  at  Hebron,  where  David 
began  his  reign.  Note,  too,  that  in  the  story  of  Joseph  it  is 
Judah  who  first  rescues  the  lad  from  death  and  afterwards 
offers  himself  as  a  ransom  for  Benjamin.  Finally,  in  the 
Blessing  of  Jacob,  which  was  a  part  of  this  work,  although 
Joseph  is  strongly  approved,  it  is  evidently  Judah  who  is  the 
favorite  of  his  father,  and  therefore  of  the  author. 

The  Judean,  or  Jahvistic,  narrative  cannot  be  completely 
restored,  some  parts  of  it  having  been  omitted  when  the 
other  two  were  united  with  it ;  but  a  good  deal  of  it  remains, 
and  the  remnants  can  in  most  cases,  by  the  help  of  the  marks 
above  described,  be  recognized  as  such.  For  the  connected 
work,  restored,  see  Bacon,  Genesis  of  Genesis,  227  ff.  The 
following  is  an  outline  of  its  contents,  so  far  as  they  have 

7 


INTRODUCTION 


been  preserved,  arranged  in  what  is  supposed  to  be  their 
original  order: 


The  first  man. 

The  garden  in  Eden. 

The  first  woman. 

The  serpent  and  his  work. 

The  penalties  of  disobedience. 

Cain  and  his  descendants. 

The  fate  of  Canaan. 

The  sons  of  God  and  their  offspring. 

The  dispersal  of  mankind. 

The  family  of  Terah. 

Abram's  migration  from  the  East. 

The  separation  from  Lot. 


The  covenant  of  Yahweh. 

(A  visit  to  Egypt. 
The  flight  of  Hagar. 

The  children  of  Keturah. 
The  meal  at  Mamre. 
The  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomor 
rah. 

Lot  and  his  daughters. 
The  birth  of  Isaac. 
The  family  of  Nahor. 
Abraham's  charge. 
At  the  well  of  Haran. 


The  winning  of  Rebekah. 
Rebekah  in  Canaan. 


7*, 


2  :  40-7. 

2  :  8,  9.*,  16  f. 

2  :  18-25. 

3  :  i-7- 

3  18-19,21,23. 

4  :  i,  i6b-24. 
9  :  20-27. 
6:if.,4. 

ii  :  1-9. 

11  128-30. 

12  :  i~4a,  5b-8. 

13  :  2,  5,  6b-7a, 
8-1  za,  i2b-i3, 
18. 

15:3-4,    6, 
8-1  1,  17  f. 

12  :  10-20.) 

16    :   ib-2,   4-8, 
11-14  •  •  • 

25  :  i-3a,  4,  i8a. 

18  :  1-15. 

18  :  16,    2o-22a, 

33b;    19    :   i- 
27a,  28. 
19  :  30-38. 

21  :  la,  2a,   6b~7. 

22  :  2ob-24. 
24  :  1-9. 

24  :  10-21,  22b, 
23  f.,  22a,  25- 
28. 

24  :  29-53. 

24  :  54-67;  25  : 
nb. 


INTRODUCTION 


Rebekah  in  danger.  26  :  1-3  a*;  6-n. 

Strife  with  the  Gerarites.  26  :  12;     21  :  34; 

26  :  13  f.,  16  f., 


The  birth  of  the  twins.  25  :  2i-26a. 

The  transfer  of  the  birthright.  25  :  27-34. 

Rebekah's  artifice.  27  :  la,  2-10,  14  f., 

17,  i8b-2o,  24- 

29. 
Esau's  appeal.  27  :  3oa,    300-32, 

35-38. 

Jacob's  flight.  27  :  4i~44a,  45- 

The  vision  at  Bethel.  28  :  10,  13-16,  19. 

The    meeting    between    Jacob    and 

Rachel.  29  :  2-14. 

Jacob  and  his  wives.  ...  29  :  26  ... 

Jacob's  children.  29  :  31-35;      30  : 

3b-5>    7,    9-J6 

2Ob,2I,22C-23a. 

The  shepherd's  wages.  30  :  25  27,  29- 

4oa,  4QC-43- 

Flight  from  Haran.  3I'i>  3>   J9a,  21. 

A  quarrel  with  Laban.  31  :  22-23a,  25,  27, 

31,  38-40,  43f., 
46,  48,  soa,  51- 
53^. 

The  present  for  Esau.  32  :  3(4-7  |8a,  13  |i4b 

I4b-2l|22. 

The  struggle  at  the  Jabbok.  32  :  22  |23a,  23  |24a, 

24  |  25-29  |  30, 


The  meeting  between  Jacob  and  Esau.  33  :  i~4a,  40,  46,  6- 

10,  12-17. 

The  disappearance  of  Joseph.  37  :  3  f.,   i2-i3a, 

I4b-i8,  21,  23, 
25-27,  28b, 
33b,  35- 
9 


INTRODUCTION 


*The  story  of  Dinah. 

Jacob's  return  to  the  South. 

*Judah  and  his  family. 
Joseph  a  slave  in  Egypt. 

In  an  Egyptian  prison. 
Pharaoh's  dreams. 
Joseph  the  king's  minister. 

The  brethren  of  Joseph  in  Egypt. 

Jacob's  misgivings. 

The  reception  by  Joseph. 

The  hidden  cup. 
The  plea  of  Judah. 
The  brother  revealed. 

Pharaoh's  invitation. 

The  reception  of  Jacob  in  Egypt. 

The  statesmanship  of  Joseph. 
Jacob's  last  request. 
The  sons  of  Joseph. 

The  blessing  of  Jacob. 

The  death  and  burial  of  Jacob. 


The  later  years  of  Joseph. 


34  :  2b-3a,  30,  5, 
7,n-i3a,  14,19, 
25!),  26,  29b-3i. 

...     35  :  16-223 

38  :  1-30. 

39  :  la,  ic-4a,  4C, 
6b,  7b-2oa,  2oc. 

39  :  21-23;  40  : 
ib,  3b,  5b,  isb. 

41  :  9b,  i4b,  31, 
34-35*,  3SC- 

41  :  41,      43t>-44, 
460-48,  53-54*, 

55- 

42  :  la,    2,    4-;a, 
yc,  na,  27~28a. 

42  138;  43  :  1-13. 

43  :  15-23^     24- 

34- 

44  :  la,  2-17. 

44  :  18-34. 

45  :  i,    4-5a,    5c, 
9-1 1,  13  f. 

45  :  i9-2ia,    27a, 
28. 

46  :  la,       28-34; 
47  :  1-4,  6b,  12. 

47  :  13-27^  27c. 

47  :  29-3 1- 

48  :  2b,      9b-ioa, 
13  f.,  17-20. 

49  :  ib-9,    11-17, 
19-27. 

49  :  33t>;    5°  :  i- 
ii. 

50  :  14,  18,  21  f. 


10 


INTRODUCTION 


In  this  table  the  section  in  parentheses  may,  but  probably 
does  not,  properly  belong  to  the  Judean  narrative.  The 
two  indicated  by  the  asterisk  belong  to  it,  but  they  seem  to 
have  been  omitted  by  one  editor  and  restored  by  another. 
An  asterisk  on  a  citation  means  that  in  the  passage  so  marked 
the  text  is  not  in  its  original  form. 

2.   THE   EPHRAIMITE   DOCUMENT   (E) 

The  Ephraimite  narrative  is  more  commonly  called  the 
Elohistic  and  cited  by  the  abbreviation  E,  because  the 
author,  or  authors,  of  it  deliberately  use  the  Hebrew  word 
'Elohim  (God)  of  the  Deity,  claiming  that  the  name  Yahweh 
was  first  revealed  to  Moses.  See  Ex.  3  :  14.  It,  also,  is 
a  product  of  the  best  period  of  Hebrew  literature.  It  ought 
not,  therefore,  to  be  expected  to  differ  in  a  very  marked 
degree  in  its  literary  features  from  the  Judean.  In  point  of 
fact  it  resembles  this  latter  more  closely  than  does  either  of 
the  others.  Still,  there  are  differences  which  the  linguist 
easily  detects  and  the  layman  appreciates  when  his  at- 
tention is  called  to  them.  In  general  it  may  be  said  that  the 
Judean  narrative  displays  a  literary  genius  easily  reaching 
excellence  and  winning  the  highest  appreciation,  while  the 
Ephraimite  is  the  product  of  a  talent  that  required  stimula- 
tion and  management  for  satisfactory  results.  The  style, 
therefore,  is  not  only  less  fluent  and  brilliant  than  that  of  the 
former,  but  one  now  and  then  feels,  as  one  reads,  that  the 
writer  is  striving  for  effect,  especially  sympathy  with  the 
principal  figure  or  figures  of  the  story.  A  good  illustration  of 
what  is  meant  is  found  in  the  story  of  Hagar,  as  told  in 
21  :  8  ff.,  compared  with  16  :  4  ff.  In  the  latter  (J)  the 
Egyptian  is  an  angry  rebel  whose  strength  and  courage  are 
unbroken,  as  if  she  were  at  home  in  the  desert;  in  the 
former  (E)  a  desperate  outcast  whose  helplessness  excites 
compassion.  Compare,  also,  the  impression  produced  with 
reference  to  Abimelech  in  26  :  i  ff.  (J)  and  20  :  i  ff.  (E) ; 
Jacob  in  30  :  37  ff.  (J)  and  31  :  4  ff.  (E);  and  Joseph  in 

ii 


INTRODUCTION 


chapter  39  (J)  and  40  (E).  Finally,  see  the  pathetic  story 
of  the  sacrifice  of  Isaac  in  22  :  i  ff. 

The  horizon  in  the  Ephraimite  narrative  is  not  so  wide 
as  in  the  Judean,  or  the  treatment  of  the  materials  employed 
so  broad  and  fearless.  In  the  first  place,  since  there  are  no 
traces  of  it  earlier  than  chapter  15,  the  probability  is  that  it 
began,  not  with  creation,  but  with  the  migration  of  Abram. 
Note  too,  that,  although  Ishmael  and  Esau  appear  in  it  as 
individuals,  there  is  no  indication  of  interest  in  their  de- 
scendants. A  good  illustration  of  the  way  in  which  promi- 
nent characters  are  treated  in  this  as  compared  with  the  Judean 
narrative  is  found  in  20  :  i  ff.,  where  the  author  attempts 
to  excuse  Abraham  for  misrepresenting  his  relation  to  Sarah 
by  making  him  say  that  she  really  was  a  daughter  of  the 
same  father.  This  variation  upon  tradition  shows  that  the 
teaching  of  the  prophets  had  begun  to  bear  fruit  in  the  prev- 
alence of  a  higher  ethical  ideal  than  in  the  earlier  period. 
There  are  other  equally  interesting  passages  bearing  on  this 
point;  for  example,  27  :  n  ff.,  where  Rebekah  is  repre- 
sented as  relieving  Jacob  from  all  responsibility  for  deceiving 
his  father,  and  31  :  9  and  16,  whence  it  appears  that  Jacob 
did  not  rob  Laban,  but  that  God  himself  took  the  ill-gotten 
gains  of  the  Aramean  from  him  and  bestowed  them  upon 
his  faithful  and  long-suffering  son-in-law. 

The  Ephraimite  narrative  differs,  too,  from  the  Judean 
in  its  conception  of  the  Deity.  It  calls  him,  except  in  pas- 
sages that  have  undergone  changes,  simply  God,  and  rep- 
resents him,  not  as  a  familiar  figure  in  everyday  life,  but 
as  one  who  reveals  himself  chiefly  in  the  more  or  less  im- 
portant crises  in  human  experience.  Even  then  he  seldom 
shows  himself  in  the  light  of  day,  but  makes  known  to  men 
his  will  in  dreams.  There  are  several  instances  of  this 
method  of  revelation.  Three  of  them  are  in  the  life  of 
Abraham,  for  although  21:12  and  22  :  i  are  not  explicit 
on  this  point,  it  is  clear  from  the  context  (21  :  14  ;  22  :  3) 
that  in  these  cases,  as  in  that  of  15  :  i  ff.,  God  came  to  him 
in  the  night,  Jacob,  also,  had  at  least  three  visions  according 

12 


INTRODUCTION 


to  28  :  12;  31  :  ii ;  46  :  2.  See  also  the  dreams  of  Joseph 
as  described  in  37  :  5  ff.  The  method  is  the  same  with 
foreigners ;  for  example,  the  kings  of  Gerar  and  Egypt  and 
the  servants  of  the  latter.  See  20  :  3 ;  41  :  i  ff. ;  40  :  5  ff. 
When  it  is  necessary  to  communicate  with  mortals  during 
the  day,  as  in  the  case  of  Hagar  in  her  distress  (21  117) 
and  Abraham  on  the  point  of  slaying  his  son  (22  :  n), 
he  speaks  to  them  through  his  angel,  and  "  out  of  heaven." 
Such  is  the  conception  of  God  that  characterizes  the  Ephra- 
imite  narrative.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  is  in  a 
sense  loftier  than  that  of  the  Judean,  but  it  may  fairly  be 
questioned  whether  it  was  of  so  much  greater  religious 
value. 

Finally,  the  Ephraimite,  like  the  Judean,  narrative  has 
its  peculiar  interests.  It  gives  prominence  to  the  places  to 
which  the  northern  tribes  were  especially  attached :  Shechem, 
where  Jacob  bought  a  parcel  of  ground  in  which  Joseph  was 
afterwards  buried  (33  :  19;  Jos.  24  :  32),  and  Beersheba, 
whose  shrine  was  one  of  the  most  sacred  to  Israel  when  this 
work  was  written  (21  :  31;  46  :  ib;  Am.  8  :  14),  as  well 
as  Bethel  (28:  19;  35  :  i  ff.).  Note,  too,  that  in  its  version 
of  the  story  of  Joseph  it  is  not  Judah,  but  Reuben,  who  be- 
friends the  boy  when  his  brothers  are  planning  to  kill  him. 
See  37  :  22.  Most  important,  however,  is  the  fact  that  this 
authority  mentions  with  apparent  approval  the  erection  of  a 
pillar  by  Jacob  at  Bethel  and  thus  recognizes  the  worship 
practised  there  as  legitimate  so  far  as  it  was  the  sincere 
worship  of  the  true  God.  See  28  :  18;  also  31  :  45. 

The  editor  who  put  together  the  Judean  and  Ephraimite 
narratives,  being  himself  from  the  South,  naturally  preferred 
the  former.  Consequently  the  latter  is  less  completely 
preserved.  Indeed,  in  some  cases,  whole  paragraphs  have 
apparently  been  omitted.  For  the  connected  narrative, 
restored,  see  Bacon,  Genesis  of  Genesis,  283  ff.  The  follow- 
ing table  is  an  attempt  to  present  the  remains  of  it  in  the 
original  order  and  supply  at  least  some  of  the  topics  on  which 
it  is  now  silent : 

13 


INTRODUCTION 


Abram's  migration  from  the  East. 

The  promise  of  God. 

The  seizure  of  Sarah  by  Abimelech. 

The  covenant  with  Abimelech. 

Hagar  the  Egyptian. 

The  birth  of  Isaac. 

The  expulsion  of  Ishmael. 

The  sacrifice  of  Isaac. 

The  marriage  of  Isaac. 

The  birth  of  the  twins. 

Rebekah's  artifice. 

Esau's  appeal. 
The  vision  at  Bethel. 
Jacob  and  his  wives. 
Jacob's  children. 


The  shepherd's  wages. 
Flight  from  Haran. 

A  quarrel  with  Laban. 


The  fear  of  Esau. 
At  Peniel. 

The  meeting  between  Jacob  and  Esau, 

Arrival  at  Shechem. 

The  disappearance  of  Joseph. 

14 


15  :  1*1  2,  5. 

20  :  1-17. 

21  :  22-3ia,  33. 


.  .  .  21  :  6a. 

21  :  8-21. 

22  :  1-13,  19. 


27  :  ib,  11-13,  l6> 
i8a,  21-23. 

27  :  3ob,       33  f., 
39  f.,  44b. 

28  :  ii  f.,     17  f., 

2O-22a. 

29  :  i,  15-23,  25, 
27-28a,  30. 

30  :  i-3a,6,8, 17- 

20a,      20C,      22b, 

230-24. 

30  :  26,  28. 

31:  2,4-9,  "-"a, 
I3~i8a,  i9b-2o. 

31  :  23^24,      26, 
28-30,    32-34a, 

35-37,  4i  *.,  45, 
Sob,  S3b-5s(32: 
i);  32  :  i]2f. 

32  :  7|8b-8|9, 

131*4* 

.  .  .  32  :  22|23b, 
23|24b,  30(31. 

33  :  4b,  4d,  5,  n. 
33  :  i8a,  i8c-2o. 
37  :  sa,  6-8a,  9, 

lob-ii,       130- 


INTRODUCTION 


The  story  of  Dinah. 


The  return  to  Bethel. 

Joseph  the  servant  of  Potiphar. 


Pharaoh's  dreams. 


Joseph  the  king's  minister. 


The  brethren  of  Joseph  in  Egypt. 


Jacob's  misgivings. 

The  reception  by  Joseph. 
The  brother  revealed. 

Pharaoh's  invitation. 

The  descent  into  Egypt. 
The  sons  of  Joseph. 


Joseph  and  his  brethren. 
The  death  of  Joseph. 


i4a,  19  f.,  22, 
24,  28a,  29-31, 
32b-33a,  34,  36. 
34  :  i-sa,  3b,  4, 
6,  8-10,  15-18, 
20-22,  230-25^ 
2a  28- 


35  :  1-5,  6b-8,  14. 

40  :  la,    2-3a,   4- 
5a,   6-i5a,    16- 

23- 

41  :  i~9a,  io-i4a, 
I4C-30,      32  f., 
35b,  36- 

41  :  37-40,  42-43*, 
45,  49-500,  51  fM 
54b,  56a,  57. 

42  :  ib,  3,  7b,  8- 
10,  nb-26,  29- 
35,  28b. 

.    .    .   42  :  36  f.; 

43  :  i4- 

...  43  :  23b  .  .  . 
45  :  2a,  3,  5b,  5d- 

8,  12,  15. 

45  :  16-18,     2i\>- 
26,  27b. 

46  :  ic-5a. 

48  :  1-2  a,  8~9a, 
iob-i2,  15  f., 
21  f. 

50  :  15-17,  19  f. 

50  :  23-26. 


INTRODUCTION 


3.   THE   FIRST   REDACTOR    (R  OR  Rj) 

When  the  two  narratives  were  united  the  compiler,  or, 
as  he  is  more  commonly  called,  the  Redactor,  —  whence  the 
abbreviation  R  or  Rj,  —  made  certain  additions.  The 
object  of  some  of  them  was  to  connect  the  extracts  taken  from 
the  two  works  with  one  another  and  smooth  away  the  most 
apparent  discrepancies  among  them.  For  examples,  see 
12  :  9;  13  :  i,  3  f.;  16  :  9  f.;  26  :  15;  18  :  39,  i  (in 
part),  20  (in  part);  40  :  3  b,  15  b;  46  :  i  b.  Of  the  rest 
the  most  important  are  those  in  which  the  promise  made  to 
Abraham  is  repeatedly  recalled:  viz.  13  :  14-17  ;  22  :  14- 
19;  26  :  3  b-5;  32  :  9|io-i2|i3. 

4.   THE    SECOND   REDACTOR    (RD) 

When  Deuteronomy  was  added  to  JE,  Genesis  was  so 
little  changed  by  the  revision  then  made  that  it  is  hardly 
worth  while  to  dwell  on  the  traces  of  it  in  this  connection. 


5.   THE   PRIESTLY  DOCUMENT    (?) 

It  remains  therefore  only  to  discuss  the  Priestly  narrative, 
which,  although  only  about  a  fifth  of  the  contents  of  this 
book  were  derived  from  it,  furnished  the  framework  on  which 
the  final  compilation  was  constructed. 

This  work  —  often  cited  under  the  abbreviation  P  — 
had  so  many  marked  peculiarities  of  form  and  diction  that 
there  is  seldom  any  difficulty  in  recognizing  extracts  from  it. 
Some  of  them,  for  example,  chapter  5  (exc.  v.  29)  and  10  :  i, 
3-7,  20,  22  f.,  31  f.,  are  naked  genealogies  in  which  a  stere- 
otyped pattern  is  repeated  as  often  as  required  without 
variation;  and  in  those  that  are  most  fully  descriptive  the 
style  is  often  as  formal,  literal,  and  repetitious  as  that  of  a 
legal  document.  A  work  of  this  kind  could  not,  of  course, 
be  expected  to  prove  very  stimulative  to  the  nobler  emotions. 

16 


INTRODUCTION 


In  point  of  fact  there  are  only  two  examples,  the  first  account 
of  creation  (i  :  i  ff.)  and  that  of  the  burial  of  Sarah  (ch. 
23),  in  which  any  such  effect  is  produced;  and  in  these 
instances  the  thoughtful  reader  will  discover  that  the  im- 
pression he  receives  is  made  by  the  subject  in  spite  of  the 
method  by  which  it  is  treated. 

The  Priestly  document  was  logical  beyond  all  the  others. 
It  followed  in  some  respects  the  Judean  narrative.  Nat- 
urally, therefore,  it  began  at  the  beginning  and  included  in  its 
historical  survey,  not  only  the  Hebrews,  but  the  rest  of  the 
family  of  Terah.  It  is  only  geographically,  however,  that 
the  compass  of  the  two  works  may  be  said  to  be  the  same. 
When  the  Priestly  narrative  was  written,  ethical  develop- 
ment among  the  Jews  had  gone  so  far  beyond  the  point  reg- 
istered in  the  Elohistic  that  their  religious  leaders  were 
obliged  to  abandon  apologies  and,  whatever  might  be  the 
result  from  the  literary  or  historical  standpoint,  simply 
omit  from  their  teaching  concerning  the  patriarchs  every- 
thing that  seemed  to  them  injurious  to  the  characters  of  these 
ancient  worthies.  This  work,  therefore,  contained  no  ref- 
erence to  the  humiliation  of  Noah,  the  falsehoods  tradition- 
ally charged  to  Abraham  and  Isaac,  or  anything  else  of  the 
sort.  There  was  nothing  in  it  to  indicate  that  Ishmael 
was  driven  from  his  father's  house  (25  :  9),  or  that  Jacob 
and  Esau  quarreled  (36  :  6  f.),  or,  so  far  as  can  now  be 
discovered,  that  the  brethren  of  Joseph  had  any  hand  in  his 
disappearance.  The  place  of  these  stories  was  to  some  extent 
supplied  by  other  material,  especially  attempts  to  trace  the 
origin  of  the  religious  institutions  of  the  Hebrews,  the  sab- 
bath (2  :  i  ff.),  circumcision  (17  :  10  ff.),  etc.  Thus  in 
the  hands  of  the  priests  the  book  of  the  traditions  of  the 
Hebrews  was  finally  transformed  into  nothing  more  or  less 
than  a  manual  of  religious  instruction. 

In  the  Priestly  document  there  is  also  evidence  of  a  more 

exalted  conception  of  the  Deity  than  is  found  in  either  of  the 

others.     Here,  also,  he  is  called  God,  as  in  the  Ephraimite 

narrative,  but  he  does  not  appear  to  men  in  dreams,  much 

n  17 


INTRODUCTION 


less  take  the  human  form  among  them.  In  two  instances 
(17:1;  35  :  9)  he  is  said  to  have  "  appeared"  to  one  of  the 
patriarchs,  but  no  attempt  is  made  to  describe  him.  He  usu- 
ally speaks  without  an  introduction,  as  if  the  writer  thought 
of  him  as  a  universal,  and  therefore  spiritual,  presence  in  the 
world  which  he  had  by  his  invincible  fiat  created.  See  1:28; 
6  :  13 ;  etc. 

Finally,  this  narrative,  being  the  work  of  Judean  priests, 
naturally  follows  the  Jahvistic  in  giving  prominence  to 
Hebron.  Indeed,  it  goes  beyond  the  earlier  work,  making 
this  ancient  capital  the  home  and  final  resting-place  of  all 
three  of  the  patriarchs.  See  23  :  2;  35  :  27;  49  :  31; 
50  :  13.  For  the  connected  narrative,  restored,  see  Bacon, 
Genesis  of  Genesis,  315  ff. 

The  following  are  the  passages  generally  attributed  to  it : 


The  first  account  of  creation.  i 

The  first  ten  generations  ch 

The  ark  and  its  freight.  6 

The  rising  water.  7 

The  receding  deluge.  8 

The  departure  from  the  ark.  8 

The  introduction  of  animal  food.  9 

The  bow  of  promise.  9 

The  grand  divisions  of  the  race.  10 

The  branch  of  Shem.  n 

The  family  of  Terah.  n 

Abram's  migration  from  the  East.  12 

Separation  from  Lot.  13 

(The  raid  of  the  Elamites.  14 

Hagar  the  Egyptian.  16 

The  token  of  God's  covenant.  17 

The  introduction  of  circumcision.  17 

18 


1-2 

5- 

9-22 


6,  n,  i3-i6a, 
30-5, 


18-21,  24. 
i-2a, 
14. 


- 

8-17,  28  f. 
la,    2-7,    20, 

22  f.,  31  f. 
IO-27. 
31  f- 

5a,  4b,  5b. 
6a,    nb-i2a. 
1-17    [18-20] 
21-24). 
ia,  3,  15  f. 
1-14. 
15-27- 


INTRODUCTION 


The  overthrow  of  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah. ...  19  :  29. 
The  birth  of  Isaac.  21  :  ib,  20-5. 
The  death  of  Sarah.                                ch.  23. 
The  death  of  Abraham.  25  :  7-1  la. 
The  children  of  Ishmael.  25  :  12-17. 
The  birth  of  the  twins.  25  :  19  f.,  26  b. 
The  mission  of  Jacob.                            26  :  34  f.;  27  :  46; 

28  :  1-9. 
The  wives  of  Jacob.  ...  29  :  24,  280- 

29;  30  :  22a. 

The  return  from  Paddan-aram.  31  :  i8b;  33  :  i8b. 

A  revelation  at  Bethel.  35  :  6a,  9,  11-1 


The  reunion  at  Mamre.  35 

The  migration  of  Esau.  36  :  6-8;  37  :  i. 

The  chiefs  of  Esau.  36  :  i,  40-43. 

The  disappearance  of  Joseph.  37  :  2  .  .  . 

At  the  court  of  Pharoah.  ...  41 :  46a  .  .  . 

The  discovery  of  Joseph.  

The  descent  into  Egypt.  46  :  6-27. 

The  reception  in  Egypt.  47  :  5~6a,      7-11, 

27b,  27(1.  28. 

The  sons  of  Joseph.  48  :  3-6. 

The  death  and  burial  of  Jacob.  49  :  la,      280-31, 


The  Priestly  document  seems  to  have  been  united  to  JED 
by  a  priest  or  priests,  who,  as  has  been  remarked,  made  it 
the  framework  of  the  compilation.  The  work  was  not  so 
well  done  as  that  of  Rj,  but  it  was  done  in  a  surprisingly 
liberal  spirit;  for,  perhaps  owing  to  a  revival  of  interest 
in  the  earlier  narratives  as  literature,  this  redaction  (Rp) 
incorporated  into  its  collection  the  very  stories  that  the 
author,  or  authors,  of  the  latest  of  his  sources  had  rejected, 
also  the  stories  of  Dinah  and  Tamar,  which  appear  to  have 
been  omitted  from  the  preceding  compilation.  Thus  the 

19 


INTRODUCTION 


book  of  Genesis  became,  not  a  homogeneous  and  consistent 
record  of  facts,  but  a  compendium  of  the  progressive  teach- 
ings, concerning  the  origin  of  their  people,  of  a  succession 
of  Hebrew  prophets  and  priests  from  the  earliest  times  to  the 
end  of  the  fifth  century  before  the  Christian  era.  ' 

It  is  easy,  after  having  traced  the  origin  of  Genesis  through 
its  various  stages,  to  see  how  it  should  be  studied;  viz.  as 
a  compilation.  There  are  two  ways  of  applying  this  method. 
The  simpler  would  be,  to  take  the  three  narratives  first 
separately  in  the  order  of  their  antiquity,  and  then  read 
them  in  their  actual  setting.  In  this  way  one  would  get  a 
clearer  idea  of  their  characters  and  their  comparative  value 
from  different  standpoints.  This  would  also  be  the  more 
logical  mode  of  procedure,  but,  since  it  would  require  con- 
siderable repetition,  lack  of  space  forbids  its  employment  in 
a  popular  commentary.  A  better  one,  for  present  purposes, 
is  to  follow  the  composite  text,  taking  each  paragraph  sep- 
arately and  using  the  modern  theory  of  the  origin  of  the 
book  as  a  key  to  the  difficulties  that  appear  in  the  given 
passage.  In  this  way  it  will  be  possible  to  test  the  theory 
and  prove,  not  only  its  correctness,  but  its  usefulness. 

III.   ANALYSIS  OF  GENESIS 

I.  THE  PRIMEVAL  WORLD;  chs.  1-9. 
I.  The  primitive  state;   chs.  1-3. 

i.  The  divine  handiwork;   chs.  1-2. 

(1)  The  first  account  of  creation;    i  :  1-2  :  3. 

(a)  The  first  day;    i  :  2-5. 

(b)  The  second  day;    i  :  6-8. 

(c)  The  third  day;    i  :  9-13. 

(d)  The  fourth  day;    i  :  14-19. 

(e)  The  fifth  day;   i  :  20-23. 

(f)  The  sixth  day;    24-31. 

(g)  The  seventh  day;    2  :  1-3. 

(2)  The  second  account  of  creation;  2  :  4-25. 
(a)  The  first  man;   2  :  40-7. 

20 


INTRODUCTION 


(b)  The  garden  in  Eden;    2  :  8-17. 

(c)  The  first  woman;    2  :  18-25. 
2.  The  entrance  of  evil;   ch.  3. 

(1)  The  serpent  and  his  work;   3  :  1-7. 

(2)  The  penalties  of  disobedience ;   3  :  8-24. 
n.  The  degeneration  of  mankind;   4  :  1-6  :  8. 

1.  Cain  and  his  descendants;   4  :  1-24. 

(1)  The  first  murderer;   4  :  1-16. 

(2)  The  line  of  Cain;   4  :  17-24. 

2.  The  line  of  Seth;   4  :  25-5  :  32. 

(1)  A  genealogical  fragment;   4  :  25  f. 

(2)  Ten  generations;   ch.  5. 

3.  The  sons  of  God  and  their  offspring;   6  :  1-4. 
in.  A  general  retribution;   6  :  5-8  :  22. 

1.  The  divine  purpose;   6  :  5-8. 

2.  God's  care  for  Noah;   6  :  9-7  :  5. 

(1)  The  ark  and  its  freight;   6  :  9-22. 

(2)  A  second  account;    7  :  1-5. 

3.  The  Flood;    7:6-8:  14. 

(1)  The  rising  water;   7  :  6-24. 

(2)  The  receding  deluge;   8  :  1-14. 

4.  Noah's  offering;   8  :  15-22. 

IV.  The  outlook  for  the  future;   ch.  9. 

1.  The  introduction  of  animal  food;   9  :  1-7. 

2.  The  bow  of  promise;   9  :  8-17. 

3.  The  fate  of  Canaan;   9  :  18-29. 

II.  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  HEBREW  PEOPLE;  chs.  10-50. 
I.  The  place  of  the  Hebrews  among  the  peoples;   chs. 
10  f. 

1.  The  families  of  the  earth;   10:  i-n  :  9. 

(1)  The  grand  divisions  of  the  race;   ch.  10. 

(a)  The  children  of  Japheth;    10  :  2-5. 

(b)  The  children  of  Ham;    10  :  6-20. 

(c)  The  children  of  Shem;    10  :  21-32. 

(2)  The  dispersal  of  mankind;    n  :  1-9. 

2.  The  branch  of  Shem;    n  :  19-26. 


INTRODUCTION 


3.  The  family  of  Terah;    n  :  27-32. 
The 


n.  The  patriarchal  period;   chs.  12-50. 

i.  Abraham  and  his  family;    12  :  1-25  :  18. 

(1)  First  adventures  in  Canaan;   chs.  12-14. 

(a)  Migration  from  the  East;    12  :  ^-9. 

(b)  A  visit  to  Egypt;    12  :  10-20. 

(c)  Separation  from  Lot;   ch.  13. 

(d)  The  Elamite  raid;   ch.  14. 

(2)  The  promise  of  God;   chs.  15-17. 

(a)  The  covenant  of  Yahweh;   ch.  15. 

(b)  The  flight  of  Hagar;   ch.  16. 

(c)  The  covenant  in  circumcision;   ch.  17. 

(a)  The  token  of  the  covenant;    17  :  i- 

14. 

(b)  The  introduction  of  the  rite ;   17  :  15- 

27. 

(3)  The  mission  of  the  angels;   chs.  18  f. 

(a)  The  meal  at  Mamre;    18  :  1-15. 

(b)  Abraham's  intercession;    18  :  16-33. 

(c)  The  overthrow  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah; 

19  :  1-28. 

(d)  Lot  and  his  daughters;   19  :  29-38. 

(4)  A  series  of  trials;   chs.  20-23,  exc.  22  :  20-24. 

(a)  The  seizure  of  Sarah  by  Abimelech;    ch. 

20. 

(b)  The  rival  mothers;   21  :  1-21. 
(a)  The  birth  of  Isaac;    21  :  1-7. 

(&)  The  expulsion  of  Ishmael;  21  :  8-21. 

(c)  The  covenant  with  Abimelech;    21  :  22- 

34- 

(d)  The  sacrifice  of  Isaac;   22  :  1-19. 

(e)  The  death  of  Sarah;   ch.  23. 

(5)  The  close  of  Abraham's  history;   22  :  20-24; 

24  :  1-25  :  ii. 
(a)  The  marriage  of  Isaac;    22  :  20-24;    ch. 

24. 
(a)  The  family  of  Nahor;   22  :  20-24. 

22 


INTRODUCTION 


(b)  Abraham's  charge;    24  :  1-9. 

(c)  At  the  well  of  Haran;   24  :  10-27. 

(d)  The  winning  of  Rebekah  ;  24  :  28-53. 

(e)  Rebekah  in  Canaan;   24  :  54-67. 

(b)  The  children  of  Keturah;    25  :  1-6. 

(c)  The  death  of  Abraham,  25  :  7-11. 
(6)  The  children  of  Ishmael;    25  :  12-18. 

2.  Isaac  and  his  family;    25  :  19-37  :  i. 

(1)  The  coveted  birthright;   25  :  19-34. 

(a)  The  birth  of  the  twins;   25  :  19-26. 

(b)  The  transfer  of  the  birthright  ;  25  :  27-34. 

(2)  The  patriarch  and  his  neighbors;   26  :  1-33. 

(a)  Rebekah  in  danger;    26  :  i-n. 

(b)  Strife  with  the  Gerarites;  26  :  12-33. 

(3)  A  struggle  for  supremacy  ;  ch.  27;  26  :  34  f.; 

28  :  1-9. 

(a)  Rebekah's  artifice;   27  :  1-29. 

(b)  Esau's  appeal;    27  :  30-40. 

(c)  The  departure  of  Jacob  for  the  East;  27  : 

41-45;   26  :  34  f.;   27  :  46;   28  :  1-9. 

(a)  The  first  account;   27  :  41-45. 

(b)  The  second  account,  26  :  34  f.;    27  : 

46;    28  :  1-9. 

(4)  The  heir  in  exile;   28  :  10-32  :  2(3. 

(a)  The  vision  at  Bethel;   28  :  10-22. 

(b)  The  meeting  between  Jacob  and  Rachel; 

29  :  1-14.  ^ 

(c)  Jacob  and  his  wives;   29  :  15-30. 

(d)  Jacob's  children;    29  :  31-30  :  24. 

(e)  The  shepherd's  wages;   30  :  25-43. 

(f)  Flight  from  Haran;   31  :  1-21. 

(g)  A  quarrel  with  Laban;   31  :  22-32  :  2  [3. 

(5)  Jacob's  return  from  the  East;    32  :  3(4-35  : 

29. 

(a)  The  present  for  Esau;  32  :  3|4-2i|22. 

(b)  The  struggle  at  the  Jabbok;   32  :  22(23- 


23 


INTRODUCTION 


(c)  The  meeting  between  Jacob  and  Esau; 

33  :  i-i7- 

(d)  The  story  of  Dinah;  33  :  18-34  :  31. 

(e)  The  return  to  Bethel;   35  :  1-15. 

(f)  A  pair  of  misfortunes;   35  :  i6-*22a. 

(g)  The  reunion  at  Mamre;   35  :  22^27. 
(6)  The  end  of  the  history  of  Isaac  535:  28-37  :  i. 

(a)  The  death  of  the  patriarch;   35  :  28  f. 

(b)  The  records  of  Edom;   36  :  1-37  :  i. 

(a)  The  migration  of  Esau;   36  :  1-8. 

(b)  The  children  of  Esau;   36  :  9-19. 

(c)  The  children  of  Seir;   36  :  20-30. 

(d)  The  kings  of  Edom;   36  :  31-39. 

(e)  The  chiefs  of  Esau;   36  :  40-37  :  i. 
Jacob  and  his  family;   37  :  2-50  :  26. 

(1)  The  disappearance  of  Joseph;  37  :  2-36. 

(2)  Judah  and  Tamar;  ch.  38. 

(3)  The  rise  of  Joseph;   chs.  39-41. 

(a)  A  slave  in  Egypt;   39  :  1-20. 

(b)  In  an  Egyptian  prison;   39  :  21-40  :  23. 

(c)  At  the  court  of  Pharaoh;   ch.  41. 

(a)  Pharaoh's  dreams;   41  :  1-36. 

(b)  Joseph  the  king's  minister;    41  :  37- 

57- 

(4)  The  discovery  of  Joseph;   chs.  42-45. 

(a)  The  brothers  of  Joseph  in  Egypt;  ch.42. 

(b)  The  return  with  Benjamin;  chs.  43-45- 
(a)  Jacob's  misgivings;   43  :  1-14. 

(&)  The  reception  by  Joseph ;  43  :  15-34- 

(c)  The  hidden  cup;   44  :  1-17. 

(d)  The  plea  of  Judah;    18-34. 

(e)  The  brother  revealed;   45  :  1-15. 
(/)  Pharaoh's  invitation;   45  :  16-28. 

(5)  Egypt  a  refuge;   46  :  1-47  :  27. 

(a)  The  descent  into  Egypt;   46  :  1-27. 

(b)  The  reception  in  Egypt;  46  :  28-47  :  I2- 
(a)  With  Joseph  in  Goshen;   46  :  28-34. 

24 


INTRODUCTION 


(6)  Before  the  king  of  Egypt ;  47  :  1-12. 
(c)   The  statesmanship  of  Joseph ;  47  :  13-27. 

(6)  The  last  days  of  Jacob;  47  :  28-50  :  13. 

(a)  A  last  request;   47  :  28-31. 

(b)  The  sons  of  Joseph;   ch.  48. 

(c)  The  blessing  of  Jacob;   49  :  i-27a. 

(d)  The  death  and  burial  of  Jacob;   49  :  28- 

5o  :  13- 

(7)  The  later  years  of  Joseph ;   50  :  14-26. 

(a)  Joseph  and  his  brethren;  50  :  14-21. 

(b)  The  death  of  Joseph ;   50  :  22-26. 


IV.  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

In  the  comments  the  aim  will  be  to  touch  upon  every 
point  in  the  text  that  seems  to  require  explanation  or  illus- 
tration, but  not  to  say  all  that  might  be  said  about  it.  It 
will  therefore  sometimes  be  necessary  to  refer  to  other  works 
in  which  a  given  subject  is  more  fully  discussed.  Some  of 
these  books  should  be  in  the  library  of  every  student  of 
the  Bible.  The  following  are  recommended  as  helpful  in 
the  study  of  Genesis : 

ENCYCLOPEDIA 

HASTINGS,  JAMES.  Dictionary  of  the  Bible  (DB.).  An  elaborate  and 
comprehensive  work;  sometimes  too  conservative,  but  on  the 
whole  the  best  for  general  reference.  5  vols. 

Single  volume  dictionaries:    Hastings  and  Standard. 


INTRODUCTION 

Those  who  would  like  a  fuller  statement  of  the  writer's  views  on 
the  origin  of  the  Pentateuch  will  find  one  in  a  work  already  cited,  The 
World  before  Abraham. 

DRIVER,  S.  R.  Introduction  to  the  Literature  of  the  Old  Testament. 
Useful  especially  for  its  detailed  analysis  of  the  text  and  its  care- 
ful description  of  the  different  sources. 

25 


INTRODUCTION 


INTERPRETATION 

DILLMANN,    AUGUST.     Genesis.     A    product   of   sound   and    varied 

learning,  the  best  of  the  older  commentaries. 
DRIVER,  S.  R.     The  Book  of  Genesis.     A  recent  work,  semi-popular, 

and  frankly,  but  moderately,  liberal. 


HISTORY 

MASPERO,  G.     The  Dawn  of  Civilization.     A  standard  work. 

GOODSPEED,  G.  S.  History  of  the  Babylonians  and  Assyrians.  A 
manual  for  Bible  students. 

ERMAN,  ADOLF.     Life  in  Ancient  Egypt.     Well  named. 

BREASTED,  J.  H.  History  of  Egypt.  A  recent  work  and  very  inter- 
esting and  instructive.  —  History  of  the  Ancient  Egyptians.  A 
manual  for  Bible  students. 

PINCHES,  T.  G.  The  Old  Testament  in  the  Light  of  the  Historical 
Records  of  Assyria  and  Babylonia.  Full  of  valuable  information 
bearing  on  the  Old  Testament,  especially  Genesis,  but  not  always 
reliable  in  its  interpretations  of  the  data  presented. 


PALESTINE 

BAEDEKER,  KARL.  Palestine.  Useful  even  to  the  imaginary  traveller 
in  the  Holy  Land. 

SMITH,  G.  A.  Historical  Geography  of  the  Holy  Land.  Unsur- 
passed as  a  source  of  help  in  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  the  signifi- 
cant features  in  the  geography  of  the  country. 

THOMSON,  W.  M.  The  Land  and  the  Book.  Diffuse  and  tiresome 
in  its  style,  but  valuable  for  the  facts  concerning  Palestine  and  its 
people  which  it  contains,  and  its  numerous  and  excellent  illustra- 
tions. 3  vols. 

GEIKIE,  CUNNINGHAM.     The  Holy  Land  and  the  Bible.     Much  more 

readable,  but  not  illustrated.     2  vols. 
Of  the  works  above  mentioned  that  of  Erman  covers  the  same 

ground  as  those  of  Breasted,  and  that  of  Thomson  the  same  as  that  of 

Geikie.     It  is  therefore  not  necessary  in  either  case  to  have  more  than 

one  of  those  recommended. 


OTHER  WORKS  OF  IMPORTANCE 

BACON,  B.  W.     The  Genesis  of  Genesis. 
BUHL,  FRANTS.     Geographic  des  alten  Palastina. 
CHEYNE  AND  BLACK.     Encyclopaedia  Biblica. 

26 


INTRODUCTION 


DELITZSCH,  FRIED.     Wo  lag  das  Paradies? 

GRANT,  ELIHU.     The  Peasantry  of  Palestine. 

JASTROW,  MORRIS.     The  Religion  of  Babylonia  and  Assyria. 

MERRILL,  SELAH.     East  of  the  Jordan. 

MULLER,  W.  MAX.     Asien  und  Europa. 

PALMER,  E.  H.     The  Desert  of  the  Exodus. 

PATON,  L.  B.     The  Early  History  of  Syria  and  Palestine. 

PETRIE,  W.  M.  F.  Egyptian  Tales.  —  A  History  of  Egypt.  —  Hyksos 
and  Israelite  Cities. 

ROBINSON,  EDWARD.     Biblical  Researches  in  Palestine. 

ROGERS,  R.  W.     A  History  of  Babylonia  and  Assyria. 

SCHRADER,  EBERHARD.  Die  Keilinschriften  und  das  Alte  Testa- 
ment ;  English,  The  Cuneiform  Inscriptions  and  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. —  Keilinschriftliche  Bibliothek. 

LE  STRANGE,  GUY.     Palestine  under  the  Moslems. 

TRISTRAM,  H.  B.     The  Land  of  Israel. 

TRUMBULL,  H.  C.     Kadesh  Barnea. 

VAN  DE  VELDE,  C.  W.  M.     Syria  and  Palestine. 


THE  MORE  IMPORTANT  ABBREVIATIONS 

AV    ....  Authorized  (King  James)  Version. 

Gr Septuagint. 

Heb Hebrew. 

m margin. 

Sam Samaritan  Pentateuch. 

SV     ....  Standard  American  Version. 

Syr Syriac. 

Tar Targum. 

Vg Vulgate. 

For  the  letters  on  the  margin,  representing  documentary  analysis, 
see  the  Introduction. 


27 


GENESIS 

I.  THE  PRIMEVAL  WORLD,   CHS.  1-9 

I.  THE  PRIMITIVE  STATE  OF  THE  WORLD  AND  MANKIND, 
1:1-3: 24 

i.  The  Divine  Handiwork,  i :  1-2 : 25 

1.  °In  the  beginning  °God  created  °the  heaven  and  the  P 

2.  earth.       °And  °the   earth  was  °waste   and  void;    and 

In  the  preceding  analysis  the  book  of  Genesis  is  divided  into  two 
main  parts.  This  number  is  not  uncommon,  but  the  place  where  the 
division  is  made  is  not  always  the  same.  Thus,  the  first  part  some- 
times includes  the  first  eleven  chapters.  It  seems  clear,  however, 
that  the  person  or  persons  responsible  for  the  present  form  of  the  book 
thought  of  the  Flood  as  closing  the  first  period  of  the  world's  history 
and  preparing  the  way  for  a  new  era.  If  so,  the  first  title,  I.  THE 
PRIMEVAL  WORLD,  should  cover  only  chapters  1-9.  The  contents 
of  these  chapters  naturally  fall  into  a  threefold  arrangement,  the 
first  of  the  three  describing  The  Primitive  State  of  the  World  and 
Mankind.  The  state  thus  described  in  its  origin  was  The  Divine 
Handiwork,  and  is  so  viewed  in  both  of  the  accounts  of  creation 
preserved  in  chapters  i  and  2. 

(i)  The  first  account  of  creation,  i  :  1-2  :  3 

This  section,  of  Priestly  origin  (P),  is  one  of  the  most  interesting 
and  impressive  passages  from  that  source.  In  it  the  works  of  God 
are  arranged  in  a  strikingly  logical  order  and  assigned  to  six  succes- 
sive days,  the  seventh  being  .consecrated  to  rest  to  complete  the  first 
week.  The  whole  is  introduced  by  a  general  statement. 

i.  In  the  beginning.  When  the  present  order  of  things  came  into 
existence.  God  created.  Not  from  nothing,  but,  as  appears  from 
v.  2,  from  matter  already  in  existence.  The  heaven  and  the  earth. 
SV  the  heavens  and  the  earth.  Better,  heaven  and  earth,  i.e.,  the  visible 
world  with  its  familiar  features. 

(a)  The  first  day,  i  :  2-5.  Light  is  created  and  the  alternation  of 
day  and  night  instituted. 

2.  This  verse  describes  the  condition  of  something  that  existed  when 
God  began  his  work.  Read,  therefore,  not  And,  but  Now,  the  earth, 

29 


GENESIS 


°darkness  was  upon  the  face  of   °the  deep:   and  °the 
spirit  of   God  moved1  upon  the  face   of   the  °waters. 

3.  And  °God  said,  Let  there  be  light:  and  °there  was  light. 

4.  And  God  °saw  the  light,  that  it  was  °good:  tand  God 

5.  °divided  the  light  from  the  darkness.     And  God  °called 
the  light  Day,  and  the  darkness  °he  called  Night.    And 
°there  was  evening  and  there  was  °morning,  one  day. 

1  m.  was  brooding  on. 

etc.  The  term  earth  is  here  used,  not  in  the  same  sense  as  in  v.  i,  but 
to  denote  the  existing  something  from  which  the  world  was  made. 
The  author  seems  to  have  thought  of  it  as  a  mass  of  solid  matter 
immersed  in  water.  Hence,  in  the  next  sentence  he  calls  it  the  deep. 
The  surface  was  waste  and  void,  an  unbroken  expanse  of  water,  and 
covered  with  darkness;  but  over  it  the  spirit  of  God  moved,  lit. 
brooded,  as  a  bird  covers  and  vitalizes  its  eggs.  The  figure  here  used 
suggests  that,  however  old  matter  may  be,  it  never  existed  without 
God  or  independent  of  him.  The  plural  waters,  like  heavens,  is  a 
Hebrew  idiom,  for  which,  in  English,  the  singular  should  be  sub- 
stituted. 

3.  God  said.    There  was  no  effort,  no  process ;    "  he  spake,  and 
it  was  done."      See  Ps.  33  :  9.     At  once,  by  his  omnipotent  will, 
there  was  light.     It  was  not  only  a  condition  of  the  existence  of  animal 
and  vegetable  life,  but  a  prerequisite  for  the  computation  of  time. 
It  did  not,  observe,  proceed  from  anything  else,  — for  the  luminaries 
were  not  yet  created, — but  had  a  separate  and  independent  exist- 
ence.    See  vs.  14  ff.;  Jb.  38  :  19. 

4.  Saw  the  light,  that  it  was  is  good  Hebrew,  but  bad  English,  for 
saw  that  the  light  -was.    The  light  was  good,  not  as  compared  with 
darkness, — which  still  had  its  place,  — but  as  adapted  to  the  pur- 
pose for  which  it  was  created.      Divided  the  light  from  the  dark- 
ness;   decreed   that    they  should  thenceforth    alternate  with  each 
other  at  certain  intervals  as  they  have  ever  since  done. 

5.  Called  the  light  Day;    ordained    that  it  should   be  so  distin- 
guished from  the  darkness,  which,  at  the  same  time,  he  called  Night. 
It  is  clear  from  the  antithesis  that  day  here  means  the  sunlit  interval 
between  two  nights,  but  it  is  equally  clear  that  the  term  does  not 
have  the  same  sense  in  the  next  sentence.    The  statement  that  there 
was,  or  better,  it  became,  evening,  and  afterwards  morning  shows  that 
it  denotes  the  interval  between  one  morning  and  the  next  commonly 
so  designated.     What  the  author  means  to  say  is  that,  when  the  first 
interval  of  light  with  which  time  began  had  been  succeeded  by  the 

3° 


GENESIS 

6.  And  God  said,  Let  there  be  a  °firmament l  in  the  midst 
of  the  waters,  and  let  it  °divide   the  waters  from   the 

7.  waters.2     °And  God  made  the  firmament,  and  °divided 
the  waters  which  were  under  the  firmament   from  the 
waters  which  were  above  the  firmament :  °3  and  it  was  so.3 

8.  And  God  called  the  firmament  °Heaven.4   And  there  was 
evening  and  there  was  morning,  a  second  day. 

1  m.  expanse.        *  Gr.  adds,  and  it  was  so.        3  Gr.  om.        «  Gr.  adds,  and  God 
taw  that  it  was  good. 

growing  darkness  at  evening,  and  the  darkness  had  again  given  place 
to  the  returning  light  on  the  second  morning,  there  had  passed  one 
of  the  periods  of  time  called  a  day.  It  is  not  called  the  first  because, 
as  yet,  there  is  no  second.  The  method  of  measuring  the  day  here 
employed  is  noticeable,  since  the  later  Hebrews  generally  reckoned 
from  sunset  to  sunset  like  the  Athenians.  See  Ne.  13  :  19. 

(b)  The  second    day,    i  :  6-8.      The  firmament   is  created   and 
heaven  and  earth  separated. 

6.  The  mass  of  matter,  called  in  v.  2  "  the  earth,"  has  thus  far 
remained  unchanged.    God  now  commands  a  firmament,  lit.  expanse, 
the  object  of  which  is  to  divide  the  waters  from  the  waters,  i.e.,  to 
separate  the  water  into  two  portions.     In  other  cases  a  command  of 
this  kind  is  usually  followed  by  the  statement,  and  it  was  so.     See 
vs.  9,  15,  etc.    These  words  should  therefore  be  transferred  from  the 
end  of  v.  7  and  inserted  at  this  point,  as  they  are  in  the  Greek  Version. 

7.  And  God  made.     Better,  Thus  God  made,  to  indicate  a  corre- 
spondence between  the  fiat  and  the  result.     Divided  the  waters  .  .  . 
firmament  .  .  .  firmament,  i.e.,  divided  the  water  so  that  half  of  it 
was  below,  and  half  above,  the  expanse;  which  expanse  must  there- 
fore have  been  pictured  as  a  horizontal  partition,  forming  the  roof  or 
ceiling  of  a  lower,  and  the  floor  of  an  upper  world.     So  Jb.  37:18; 
Pr.  8:27  f.     Above  it,  according  to  7:11,  was  stored  a  part  of  the 
water  by  which  the  Flood  was  produced.     There,  also,  the  Hebrews 
sometimes  located  the  abode  of  the  Deity.     So  Am.  9:6;  Ps.  104:  3. 
On  and  it  was  so,  see  v.  6. 

8.  The  upper  world  is  called  Heaven;  the  lower,  being  still  un- 
finished, remains  without  a  name.     The  Greek  Version  inserts  here 
and  God  saw  that  it  was  good,  which,  since  it  is  found  in  all  the  other 
paragraphs,  is  doubtless  wanting  in  this  one  only  by  mistake. 

(c)  The  third  day,  i  :9~i3-     This  day  is  marked  by  two  creative 
acts :  the  lower  world  is  finished,  and  the  dry  land  is  clothed  with 
vegetation. 


GENESIS 


P  9.         And  God  said,  Let  the  waters  under  the  heaven  be 
gathered  together  unto  °one  place,1  and  let  °the  dry  land 

10.  appear:  °and  it  was  so.2     And  God  called  the  °dry  land 
Earth ;   and  the  gathering  together  of  the  waters  called 

11.  he  °Seas:   and  God  saw  that  it  was  good.    'And  God 
said,  Let  the  earth  put  forth  °grass,  herb  yielding  seed,3 
and 4  °fruit  tree  bearing  °fruit 5  after  its  kind,5  wherein 
is  the  seed  thereof,  upon  the  earth:    and  it  was  so. 

12.  °And  the  earth  brought  forth  grass,  herb  yielding  seed 
after  its  kind,  and  °tree  fl  bearing  fruit,  wherein  is  the 
seed  thereof,  after  its  kind  7 :   and  God  saw  that  it  was 

13.  good.     And  there  was  evening  and  there  was  morning, 
a  third  day. 

1  Gr.  mass.  *  Gr.  adds,  Thus  the  water  under  heaven  was  gathered  together  into 
its  mass,  and  the  dry  land  appeared.  3  Gr.  Syr.  add,  after  its  kind.  •*  So  Gr.  Vg.  Syr. 
Tar.  s  Gr.  after  thereof.  6  Gr.  fruit  tree.  1  Gr.  adds,  on  the  earth. 


9.  One  place.  The  Hebrew  word  for  place  very  much  resembles 
the  one  rendered  gathering  together  in  v.  10.  Hence,  it  is  prob- 
able that  the  Greek  Version  is  correct  in  reading  in  this  instance 
also  one  gathering,  or  mass.  The  collection  of  all  the  water  of  the 
lower  world  into  one  mass,  allowed  the  dry  land,  i.e.,  the  solid  matter 
heretofore  hidden  from  sight,  to  appear.  The  brief  statement  and 
it  was  so  ought  to  be  followed  by  one  corresponding  to  the  command 
given.  See  vs.  7,  16,  etc.  Such  a  statement  is  found  in  the  Greek 
Version.  Add,  therefore,  Thus  the  water  under  heaven  was  gathered 
together  into  its  mass,  and  the  dry  land  appeared.  For  a  poetical  de- 
scription of  this  event,  see  Ps.  104  :  8  and  m. 

10.  The  terms  dry  land,  Earth,  and  Seas  are  not  happily  chosen. 
The  meaning  would  be  clearer  if  the  verse  were  rendered,  And  God 
catted  the  dry  ground  Land,  and  the  mass  of  water  called  he  Sea. 

11.  Grass.    Better,  perhaps,  verdure,  since  it  seems  to  be  a  general 
term  including  the  herb,  especially  grains  and  grasses,  and  the  fruit 
tree.     Fruit  after  its  kind,  wherein  is  the  seed  thereof.     Better,  as  in 
the  next  verse,  fruit  wherein  is  the  seed  thereof,  i.e.,  of  the  tree,  after  its 
kind. 

12.  And  the  earth  brought  forth  grass.      Better,  Thus  the  earth 
brought  forth  verdure.     Tree.     Better,  with  the  Greek  Version,  as  in 
v.  ii,  fruit  tree. 

32 


GENESIS 

14.  And  God  said,  Let  there  be  lights  in  the  firmament 
of  the  heaven  l  °to  divide  the  day  from  the  night ;   and 
let  them  be  °for  signs,  and  °for  seasons,  and  °for  days 

15.  and  years :  and  let  them  be  °for  lights  in  the  firmament 
of  the  heaven  to  give  light  upon  the  earth :  and  it  was  so. 

1 6.  °And  God  made  °the  two  great  lights;  the  greater  light 
to  °rule  the  day,  and  the  lesser  light  to  rule  the  night: 

17.  he  made  °the  stars  also.     And  God  °set  them  in  the 
firmament  of  the  heaven  °to  give  light  upon  the  earth : 

18.  and  °to  rule  over  the  day  and  °over  the  night,  and  °to 
divide  the  light  from  the  darkness :  and  God  saw  that  it 

1  Sam.  Gr.  add,  to  give  light  upon  the  earth  (15). 

(d)  The  fourth  day,  i  :  14-19.  The  luminaries,  large  and  small, 
are  created  and  assigned  their  places  in  the  firmament,  the  work  of 
this  day  supplementing  that  of  the  first. 

14.  To  divide  the  day  from  the  night:   not  in  the  sense  of  fixing  the 
limits  of  the  two  divisions  of  the  day,  —  that  was  done  on  the  first  day, 
—  but  as  marks  distinguishing  the  one  from  the  other.     See  v.  16. 
For  signs;    to  indicate  by  their  position  or  appearance  all  sorts  of 
conditions  and  occurrences  from  points  of  the  compass  to  national 
convulsions.     See  Num.  21  :  n;    Mt.    16  :  2  f.;     Joel  3  :  31  |  3  :  4. 
For  seasons;    to  control  the  annual  variations  in  climate  and  the  suc- 
cession  of   civil    or   ecclesiastical    observances.     Ps.    104  :  19;     Lv. 
23  :  i  ff .     For  days  and  years ;  to  mark  the  passage  of  time. 

15.  For  lights.    The  object  that  would  first  occur  to  a  modern 
writer  is  the  last  to  be  mentioned. 

16.  And  God.     Better,  Thus  God.   The  two  great  lights;    the  sun 
and  the  moon.    The  classification  is  based  on  their  apparent  size. 
The  author  had  no  idea  of  the  real  magnitude  of  the  heavenly  bodies. 
Rule.     Another  way  of  saying  distinguish.     The  stars.    They,  also, 
be  long  to  the  night,  but,  since  they  do  not  rule  over  it,  they  receive 
separate  mention.    There  is  no  hint  of  their  actual  importance. 

17.  Set  them;   gave  them  their  relative  positions  and  started  them 
on  their  courses.     To  give  light.    The  last  of  the  functions  described 
in  vs.  14  f.  is  here  the  first  to  be  mentioned. 

18.  To  rule.     Here  the  stars  seem  to  be  associated  with  the  moon 
as  rulers  over  the  night.     To  divide  the  light  from  the  darkness.    This 
clause  must  be  interpreted  as  the  equivalent  of  to  divide,  i.e.,  distin- 
guish, the  day  from  the  night  in  v.  14. 

D  33 


GENESIS 


19.   was  good.      And  there  was    evening   and   there   was 

morning,  a  fourth  day. 

P  20.  And  God  said,  Let  the  waters  Ol  bring  forth  abun- 
dantly the  moving  creature  that  hath  life,1  and  let 
0  fowl 2  fly  above  the  earth  °3  in  the  open  firmament  of 

21.  heaven.3      °And    God    created    the    great    °sea-mon- 
sters,  and  every  living  creature  that  moveth,  °4  which 
the    waters    brought    forth    abundantly,4    after    their 
°kinds,5  and  every  winged  fowl  after  its  kind:    and 

22.  God  saw  that  it  was  good.     And  God  blessed  them, 
saying,    °Be  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and  fill  the  waters 

1  m.  SV  swarm  with  swarms  of  living  creatures.  '  SV  birds.  3  m.  on  the  face 
of  the  expanse  of  the  heaven;  Gr.  adds,  and  it  was  so.  •*  SV  wherewith  the  waters 
swarmed,  s  SV  kind. 


(e)  The  fifth  day,  i  :  20-23.     The  creatures  of  the  water  and  the 
air  are  made  and  blessed. 

20.  Bring  forth  abundantly  the  moving  creature  that  hath  life. 
This  is   unnecessarily   clumsy.    The   marginal   rendering,   which   is 
adopted  by  SV,  is  much  preferable.     Better  still  would  be  swarm 
abundantly  with  living  creatures.    These  creatures,  as  appears  from 
v.   21,  are  the  fishes  and  other   animals,   real  or   imaginary,   with 
which  the  Hebrews  peopled  the  sea.     See  Ps.  104  :  25.     Fowl.     SV 
birds;   better,  flying  things,  without  the  article.     In  Lev.  n  :  20  ff. 
the  term  here  used  includes  winged  insects.    The  rendering  of  AV, 
and  fowl  that  mayfly,  implies  that  these  animals,  also,  were  produced 
by  the  water ;    but  the  original  does  not  favor  this  interpretation.    In 
the  open  firmament  of  heaven.     In  this  rendering  the  modern  seems 
to  have  been  deliberately  substituted  for  the  ancient  idea  of  the  sky. 
The  marginal  alternative  is  too  literal.     Better,  across  the  firmament, 
i.e.,  between  it  and  the  observer.     Add,  with  the  Greek  Version,  at 
the  end  of  the  verse,  and  it  was  so. 

21.  And  God  created.     Better,  Thus  God  created.     Sea-monsters. 
Better,  monsters.    The  original  word  is  oftenest  used  of  crocodiles. 
See  Is.  27  :  i,  etc.     If  the  author  had  in  mind  other  creatures  than 
now   exist,   they   were   probably   fabulous.     For   which  the  waters 
brought  forth  abundantly,  read,  with  SV,  wherewith  tlie  waters  swarm, 
or,   better  still,  wherewith  the  water  swarms.     Kinds.     Better,  with 
SV,  kind. 

22.  Be  fruitful.     A  special  fiat  bestowing  the  power  of  reproduction. 

34 


GENESIS 

23.  in  °the  seas,  and  let  °fowl  multiply  in  *  the  earth.     And 
there  was  evening  and  there  was  morning,  a  fifth  day. 

24.  And  God  said,  Let  the  earth  bring  forth  °*  the  living 
creature 2  after  its  3  kind,  °cattle,  and  °creeping  thing,3 
and  °beast 3  of  the  earth  after  its  3  kind :   and  it  was  so. 

25.  °And  God  made  the  beast 3  of  the  earth  after  its  3  kind, 
and  the  cattle  after  their  kind,  and  every  thing  that 
creepeth  upon  the  ground  after  its  kind :   and  God  saw 

26.  that  it  was  good.     And  God  said,  °Let  us  make  man 
°in  our  image,  after  our  likeness:    °and  let  them  have 

«  SV  on.       •  SV  living  creatures.       3  SV  plu. 

The  seas.     Better,  although  the  original  is  plural,  the  sea.     Fowl. 
SV  birds;  better,  the  flying  things,  with  the  article. 

(f)  The  sixth  day,  i  :  24-31.      On  this,  as  on  the  third  day,  two 
acts  are  performed ;  first  the  land  animals  are  created,  and  then  man. 

24.  The  living  creature.      Better,  with  SV,  although  the  original 
is  singular,  living  creatures,  without  the  article.    The  term  includes 
three  classes:   first,   cattle,  or  domestic  animals;     second,   creeping 
thing  (SV  things),  or    reptiles    and  other   smaller  animals;    third, 
beast  (SV  beasts)  of  the  earth,  or  larger  wild  animals. 

25.  And  God  made.     Better,  Thus  God  made.     In  this  verse  the 
order  of  the  classes  above  mentioned  is  changed,  but  the  change  has 
no  apparent  significance. 

26.  Let  us  make.    The  use  of  the  plural  in  this  passage  has  been 
variously  interpreted,  but  there  are  only  two  explanations  that  need 
be  considered.    The  first  is  based  on  the  fact  that  the  Hebrew  word 
for  God  is  plural,  also  the  one  for  Lord  when  it  refers  to  the  Deity. 
It  is  argued  that  these  plurals  denote,  not  a  number  of  persons,  but  a 
combination  of  characteristics,  and  that  the  expression  here  used  is 
of  the  same  nature.    There  are,  however,  strong  reasons  to  the  con- 
trary.    In  the  first  place,  it  is  by  no  means  certain  that  the  name 
God  is  a  pluralis  majestatis ;  and  secondly,  if  it  is,  the  fact  that  the 
Hebrews  used  the  plural  in  speaking  to  or  of  him  is  not,  in  the  absence 
of  any  clearer  examples,  sufficient  ground  for  supposing  that  they 
represented  him  as  using  the  plural  of  himself.    More  satisfactory  is 
the  explanation  that,  since  the  Hebrews  believed  there  was  a  heavenly 
court  (Ps.  89 :  7 18),  and  the  angels  who  composed  it  were  created  be- 
fore man  (Jb.   38  :  7),  God  here  associates  with  himself  these  exalted 
beings.     See  11:7,  but  especially  Is.  6  :  8,  where  the  reference  to 
them  seems  unmistakable.     In  our  image,  after  our  likeness.     Any 

35 


GENESIS 


dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and  over  °the  fowl  of 
the  air,1  and  over  the  cattle,  and  over  °all  2  the  earth,2 
and  over  every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the 

27.  earth.     °And  God  created  man  °3  in  his  own,  image,3  in 
the  image  of  God  created  he  him;    °male  and  female 

28.  created  he  them.     And  God  blessed  them:    and  God 
said  unto  them,  Be  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and  replenish 
the  earth,  and  °subdue  it;   and  have  dominion  over  the 
fish  of  the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of  the  air,  and  over 

29.  °every  living  thing  that  moveth  upon  the  earth.     And 
God  said,  Behold  I  have  given  you  °every  herb  yielding 
seed,  which  is  upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth,  and  °every 

1  S  V  heavens.   3  Syr.  the  beasts  of  the  earth,   s  Gr.  om. 

attempt  to  make  a  distinction  between  the  image  of  God  and  his 
likeness  is  idle.  The  two  words  are  evidently  synonyms.  What  they 
mean  appears  from  the  next  sentence,  where  the  clause  and  let  them 
have  dominion  is  equivalent  to,  that  they  may  have  dominion.  The 
image  of  God,  therefore,  must  consist  in  endowments  that  fit  the  re- 
cipient to  share  God's  dominion  over  the  rest  of  creation.  See  9:2; 
Ps.  8  :  6  ff.  The  fowl  of  the  air.  Better,  the  birds  of  heaven,  here 
and  elsewhere.  The  phrase  all  the  earth  makes  no  sense  in  this  con- 
nection, but  the  beasts  of  the  earth  the  reading  of  the  Syriac  Version,  is 
what  is  wanted.  Note  the  omission  of  the  usual  statement  and  it 
was  so  at  the  end  of  this  verse. 

27.  And  God  created.      Better,   Thus  God  created.    The  phrase 
in  his  own  image  is  wanting  in  the  Greek  Version,  and  it  is  not  im- 
possible that  it  should  be  omitted.      Male  and  female.    Thus,  accord- 
ing to  this  account,  man  and  woman  were  created  on  the  same  day, 
and  both  of  them  after  the  creation  of  all  the  animals.     Comp.  2:76?. 

28.  The  blessing  bestowed  upon  man  surpasses  that  pronounced 
upon  the  lower  animals  by  the  prospect  that  he  may  subdue  the  earth 
which  both  are  to  inhabit.     Every  living  thing  that  moveth.     An  in- 
clusive expression  for  the  three  classes  of  land  animals.     See  v.  26. 

29.  Every  herb  yielding  seed.     All  the  grains,  or,  more  exactly,  the 
seeds  they  bear.     Every  tree.,    More  exactly,  the  fruit  of  these  trees. 
For  meat.     SV  rightly  substitutes,  for  this  antiquated  expression, 
for  food.    This  food,  it  will  be  observed,  is  entirely  vegetable,  man, 
according  to  the  author,  not  being  permitted  to  kill  animals  for  any 
purpose  until  after  the  Flood.     See  9  :  3. 

36 


GENESIS  2  :  2 

tree  in  the  *  which  is  the  fruit  of  a  tree  yielding  seed ;  to 

30.  you  it  shall  be  °for  meat 2 :    °and  to  every  beast  of  the 
earth,  and  to  every  fowl  of  the  air,  and  to  °every  thing 
that  creepeth  upon  the  earth,  °wherein  there  is  life,3 
°I  have  given  °every  green  herb  for  meat 2 :  and  it  was 

31.  so.     And  God  saw  every  thing  that  he  had  made,  and, 
behold,  it  was  °very  good.     And  there  was  evening  and 
there  was  morning,  °the  sixth  day. 

2.       °And  the  heaven  and  the  earth  were  finished,  and  P 
2.   all  °the  host  of  them.     And  on  °the  seventh  4  day  God 

«  SV  om.       'SVfood.        3  m.  a  living  soul.      *  Gr.  Syr.  sixth. 

30.  The  enumeration  of  the  animals  in  this  verse  is  irregular  and 
confusing.    The  easiest  way  to  explain  it  is  to  suppose  that  the  first 
item,  and  to  every  beast  of  the  earth,  has  been  added  to  the  original 
text.     When  this  is  omitted  and  the  absence  of  the  fishes  explained 
by  their  confinement  to  another  element,  the  verse  takes  a  form  cor- 
responding to  that  of  v.  28.     Every  thing  that  creepeth.     Better,  as  in 
v.  28,  every  thing  that  moveth,  for  the  verb  is  the  same,  and  it  is  clear 
from  the  added  clause,  wherein  there  is  life  (m.  a  living  soul),  that 
all  the  land  animals  are  included.    The  verb  I  have  given  is  not  in  the 
original,  but  it  is  properly  supplied.     Every  green  herb.    The  animals, 
too,  it  appears,  were  confined  to  a  vegetable  diet.     In  other  words, 
the  relations  among  the  animals,  as  between  them  and  man,  at  the 
beginning  was  the  ideal  one  described  in  Is.  n  :  6  ff.,  in  which  the 
creatures  of  God  neither  hurt  nor  destroy  one  another. 

31.  Very  good.    The  full  excellence  of  his  work  did  not  appear 
until  it  was  completed.    The  satisfaction  of  the  author  seems  to  be 
indicated  by  the  fact  that  he  numbers  this  last  working  day  the,  not  a, 
sixth  day. 

(g)  The  seventh  day,  2  :  1-3.  God  rests  and  sanctifies  the  day 
as  a  day  of  rest.  This  paragraph  is  as  much  a  part  of  the  first  account 
of  creation  as  any  of  those  preceding.  It  ought,  therefore,  to  have  been 
included  in  the  first  chapter. 

1.  The  connection  would  be  more  apparent  if  the  first  clause  had 
been  rendered,  not  And  the  heaven  and  the  earth  were  finished,  but 
Thus  heaven  and  earth  were  finished.     The  host  of  them.     Better, 
their  host,  the  term  host  including,  not  only  the  heavenly  bodies,  but  the 
multitude  of  creatures  with  which  the  lower  world  had  been  furnished. 

2.  The  seventh  day.    The  Greek  and  Syriac   versions  have  the 

37 


GENESIS 


finished  his  work  1  which  he  had  made ;  and  he  rested 
on  the  seventh  day  from  all  his  work  which  he  had 
3.  made.  And  °God  blessed  the  seventh  day  and  °hal- 
lowed  it:  because  that  in  it  he  rested  from  all  °his 
work  which  God  had  created  and  made. 

1  Gr.  Syr.  works. 

sixth  day;  but  this  seems  an  unnecessary  correction,  for  the  state- 
ment that  God  finished  his  work  may  here  be  understood  as  meaning 
that  with  the  beginning  of  the  seventh  day  he  put  an  end  to  his  creative 
activity.  This,  the  evident  meaning  of  the  author,  might  be  expressed 
by  translating  the  whole  verse,  And  when,  on  the  seventh  day,  God 
had  finished  his  work  (Gr.  Syr.  works),  he  rested  on  the  seventh  day,  etc. 
The  sense  would  have  been  clearer  still  if  the  phrase  on  the  seventh 
day  had  been  used  only  in  the  latter  half  of  the  verse.  The  seventh, 
of  course,  like  the  other  six,  is  a  literal  day.  The  statement,  there- 
fore, that  on  it  God  rested  implies  that  on  the  next  he  resumed  his 
activity,  but  naturally  as  a  governor  rather  than  a  creator. 

3.  God  blessed  the  seventh  day ;  gave  it  its  function  as  a  day  of 
relief  from  labor.  Hallowed  it ;  consecrated  it  to  this  and  no  other 
purpose.  His  work  which  God  had  created  and  made.  This  rendering 
hardly  does  justice  to  the  original.  Better,  his  work  which,  as  Creator, 
he  had  done,  or  his  creative  work  which  he  had  done. 

This  is  the  first  account  of  creation.  It  is  not,  as  has  sometimes 
been  claimed,  a  poem,  but  a  sober  attempt  to  explain  the  origin  of  the 
visible  world,  and,  when  one  considers  its  antiquity,  a  very  successful 
one.  There  is  no  other  so  early  that  can  be  compared  with  it.  Indeed, 
it  teaches  the  unity  of  nature  and  a  gradual  development  of  the  world 
as  clearly  as  modern  science.  The  ideas  of  God  and  man,  also,  which 
it  suggests  are  lofty  and  inspiring,  and  calculated  to  stimulate  piety 
and  morality.  It  must,  however,  have  become  plain  to  any  one  who 
has  followed  the  preceding  discussion  that  this  ancient  cosmogony 
cannot  be  regarded  as  a  history  of  the  process  by  which  the  world 
was  created.  For  such  knowledge,  so  far  as  it  has  ever  been  revealed, 
one  must  consult  the  records  of  modern  science. 

(2)  The  second  account  of  creation,  2  :  4-25 

This  is  mainly  an  extract  from  the  Judean  narrative,  and  bears  the 
stamp  of  its  origin.  It  deals  especially  with  the  creation  of  mankind, 
the  introduction  of  other  creatures  being  merely  incidental.  Accord- 
ing to  the  author  woman  was  not  created  at  the  same  time  with  man, 
but  after  an  interval  during  which  the  garden  in  Eden  was  planted. 

38 


GENESIS  2  :  5 


4.  1  These  are  1  the  generations  of  the  heaven  and  of  R 
the  earth  °when  they  were  created,  ]  °in  the  day  that  °2  the  J 

5.  LORD2  °God*  made  °3  earth  and  heaven.3    And  °no 
plant  of  the  field  was  yet  in  the  earth,  and  no  herb  of 
the  field  had  yet  sprung  up  •  for  the  LORD  °God  *  had 

'  Gr.  This  is  the  book  of.      '  SV,  everywhere,  Jehovah.      3  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr. 
heaven  and  earth. 


Hence  it  will  be  convenient  to  divide  the  account  into  three  para- 
graphs. The  whole,  in  its  present  form,  is  furnished  with  a  title, 

4a,  which  is  in  the  style  of  the  first  account,  and  was  probably  sup- 
plied by  the  compiler.  The  clause  when  they  were  created  seems  to 
have  been  added  to  indicate  that  this  second  account  was  to  be  re- 
garded as  a  more  detailed  parallel  to  the  first. 

(a)  The  creation  of  man;  2  :  4b~7.  The  barren  earth  is  blessed 
with  moisture,  and  man  is  created  to  care  for  it  and  enjoy  its  fruits. 

4b.  This  clause  is  now  simply  a  repetition  of  the  first  half  of  the  verse, 
but  originally  it  belonged  with  v.  5.  In  the  day ;  at  the  time,  the  word 
day  here  being  used  in  a  more  general  sense  than  in  chapter  i.  The 
LORD.  This  title,  which  here  appears  for  the  first  time,  is  a  substitute 
for  a  proper  name  for  which  SV  has  Jehovah.  The  latter,  however, 
is  not  correct.  The  name  in  question  was  pronounced  Yahweh. 
The  Jews,  becoming  superstitious  about  it,  adopted  the  practice  of 
substituting  for  it,  when  they  read  their  Scriptures,  a  word  ('adhonay) 
meaning  Lord,  or,  more  exactly,  my  Lord.  To  prevent  any  one  from 
using  it  by  mistake,  they  wrote  it  with  the  vowels  of  the  substitute, 
thus  producing  yehowah.  They  never  attempted  to  pronounce  this 
hybrid  form,  but  in  the  sixteenth  century  it  became  a  recognized  name 
for  the  Deity  among  Christians.  The  use  of  the  original  Yahweh, 
as  has  been  explained  in  the  Introduction,  is  a  peculiarity  of  the 
Judean  narrative.  From  this  point  to  the  end  of  chapter  3  it  is  followed 
by  God,  which  seems  to  have  been  inserted  by  the  compiler  to  remind 
the  reader  that  the  Yahweh  of  this  account  and  the  God  of  the  first 
were  one  and  the  same  Creator.  It  will  hereafter  be  marked  by  an 
asterisk  in  the  text  and  ignored  in  the  comments.  Earth  and  heaven. 
The  Samaritan  and  the  great  versions  have  heaven  and  earth,  but  this 
is  probably  a  correction.  Perhaps  the  original  reading  had  simply 
earth.  There  is  no  further  reference  to  the  upper  world. 

5.  In  the  day  that  the  LORD  God  made  earth  and  heaven,  i.e.,  when 
he  first  made  it,  or  when  he  took  in  hand  to  fit  it  for  human  occupancy, 
—  so  the  story  ran,  —  no  plant  of  the  field  was  yet  in  the  earth.  For 
plant  read  shrub,  as  in  21  :  15.  No  herb  ;  no  vegetation  of  any  sort. 

39 


GENESIS 

not  caused  it  to  rain  upon  1  the  earth,  and  °there  was 

6.  not  a  man  to  till  the  ground;    but  there  °went  up  °a 
mist 2  from  the  earth,  and  °watered  °the  whole  face  of 

7.  the   ground.     And    the    LORD  God  *    °formed    man 3 
°of  the  dust  of  the  ground,  and  breathed  into  his  nos- 
trils °the  breath  of  life ;  and  man  8  became  °a  living  soul. 

J     8.       And  the  LORD  God  *  planted  °a  garden  °eastward, 

1  Syr.  upon  the  face  of.        *  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  spring;  Tar.  cloud.        3  Sam.  Syr.  Adam. 


God  had  not  caused  it  to  rain.  According  to  i  :  2,  the  solid  portion  of 
the  earth  was  at  first  submerged  in  water;  here  it  is  represented  as  a 
desert  for  lack  of  moisture.  The  reason  why  Yahweh  had  not  sup- 
plied this  lack  was  that  there  was  not  a  man  to  till  the  ground.  Com- 
pare the  first  account,  where  the  advent  of  man  is  postponed  until 
the  earth  is  otherwise  completely  furnished. 

6.  A  mist.    The  versions  read  a  spring,  and  some  modern  scholars 
adopt  a  similar  rendering  ;  but,  since  it  was  rain  that  the  earth  needed, 
it  must  have  been  a  mist  that  went  up  and,  descending  as  rain,  watered, 
saturated,  the  whole  face  of  the  ground.     See  Jb.  36  :  27,  where  the 
same  Hebrew  word  is  again  used  in  connection  with  rain  and  trans- 
lated vapor.     Where  the  moisture  came  from,  the  author  does  not 
say;    perhaps  from  the  sea,  although  he  does  not  mention  its  existence. 

7.  Formed  man ;  moulded  him,  as  a  potter  fashions  a  dish  or  a 
figure.    Of  the  dust  of  the  ground.    Better,  out  of  dust  from  the  ground. 
The  author  seems  to  have  intended  to  teach  that  man  ('adham)  was  so 
called  because  he  was  taken  from  the  ground   ('adhamah}.     The 
breath  of  life ;  the  life  that  manifests  itself  in  the  process  of  breathing. 
A  living  soul.    The  phrase  is  used  several  times  in  chapter  i ;   once  in 
the  sense  of  life  (v.  30),  but  elsewhere  in  that  of  living  creature.     See 
vs.  20,  21,  24.     It  has  the  latter  meaning  in  this  instance,  man  being 
simply  classified  as  a  being  endowed  with  life,  the  first  to  be  created, 
without  reference  to  his  rank  in  that  order.    Compare  i  :  26  ff.,  and  the 
exalted  position  which  he  is  there  given. 

(b)  The  garden  in  Eden,  2  :  8-17.  This  passage  has  a  twofold 
interpretation.  In  its  present  form  it  describes  a  garden  with  two 
remarkable  trees,  locating  it  in  the  well-watered  plain  of  Babylonia; 
but  as  originally  written,  when  it  consisted  only  of  vs.  8*,  9*,  16,^  17*, 
it  had  only  one  such  tree,  and  the  location  of  the  garden  was  in  an 
unnamed  part  of  the  East. 

8.  A  garden ;  a  park  or  orchard  such  as  oriental  monarchs  culti- 
vated.    Eastward.    The  standpoint  is  that  of  the  author,  but  there 

40 


GENESIS 


*  in  °Eden  f ;  and  there  he  put  the  man  whom  he  had 
9.  formed.  And  out  of  the  ground  made  the  LORD  God  * 
to  grow  every  tree  that  is  °pleasant  to  the  sight,  °and 
good  for  food ;  °*  the  tree  of  life  f  also  in  the  midst  of  the 
garden,  and  *  °the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil.  1 

10.  °And  a  river  went  out  of  Eden  °to  water  the  garden; 
and  °from  thence  it  was  parted,  and  °became  four  heads. 

11.  The  name  of  the  first  was  °Pishon:    that  is  it  which 

has  thus  far  been  no  indication  where  the  story  originated.  This  item, 
therefore,  is  not  of  much  value.  From  n  :  i,  however,  it  appears 
that  the  earliest  home  of  the  race  was  westward  or  southwestward 
from  Babylon,  i.e.,  in  northern  Arabia ;  which  is  at  the  same  time 
eastward  from  Palestine.  Here  was  the  garden  of  the  original  story. 
Compare  v.  10.  Whether  this  region  was  called  Eden  or  not  is  uncertain. 

9.  Pleasant  to  the  sight ;  beautiful  on  account  of  its  form  or  foliage. 
And  good  for  food.     Better,  or  good  for  food,  i.e.,  whose  fruit  was  agree- 
able.    The  tree  of  life.     A  tree  from  the  fruit  of  which,  according  to 
3  :  22,  one  might  eat  and  live  forever.     From  v.  17  and  3  :  3,  how- 
ever, it  appears  that  there  was  only  one  tree  in  the  midst  of  the  garden, 
and  that  it  was  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil.    The 
discrepancy  can  only  be  explained  by  supposing  that  the  tree  of  life 
was  borrowed  from  another  similar  story  and  inserted  here  as  well  as 
in  chapter  3  by  a  later  hand.     The  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and 
evil.    The  nature  of  this  tree,  also,  is  indicated  by  its  name  and  more 
fully  explained  in  the  sequel.     It  was  a  tree  such  that,  if  any  one  not 
endowed  with  moral  judgment  ate  of  its  fruit,  he  or  she  would  at  once 
become  competent  to  distinguish  between  right  and  wrong.     See  3  :  7. 

10.  The  story  is  here  interrupted  by  a  description  of  the  means 
by  which  the  garden  was  irrigated.    And,  better,  Now,  a  river  went 
out  of  Eden.     Here  Eden,  which  is  the  Hebrew  form  of  the  Assyrian 
Edinu,  plain,  is  the  plain  of  Babylonia.     See  Pinches,  OT,  70.    Com- 
ing thence  the  river  flowed  (southward)  so  as  to  water  the  garden. 
From  thence  ;   on  leaving  the  garden.     Became  four  heads ;   became 
the  source  of  four  separate  streams. 

11.  There  is  great  difference  of  opinion  with  reference  to  the  first 
two  of  these  streams.     It  does  not  seem  possible  to  identify  them  to 
the  satisfaction  of  any  large  number  of  scholars.     It  is  a  plausible 
conjecture  (Fried.  Deiitzsch)   that    the  Pishon  was  a    large  canal, 
known  by  the  name  Pallukatu  (Pallakopas).  which,  branching  from 
the  Euphrates  below  Babylon,  passed  Ur  and  emptied  into  the  Persian 
Gulf  by  a  separate  mouth  southwest  of  the  main  stream.    One  reason 
for  supposing  this  canal  to  be  meant  is  that  it  skirted  the  Arabian  desert, 

41 


GENESIS 

compasseth  the  whole  land  of  °Havilah,  where  there  is 

12.  °gold;    and  the  gold  of  that  land  is  ''good1:    there  is 

13.  °bdellium  and  °the  onyx  2  stone.     And  the  name  of  the 
second  river  is  °Gihon :   the  same  is  it  that  compasseth 

14.  the  whole  land  of  °Cush.     And  the  name  of  the  third 
river  is  °Hiddekel :    that  is  it  which  goeth  °3  in  front  3 

15.  of  Assyria.     And  the  fourth  river  is  °Euphrates.4    And 

1  Sam.  Vg.  very  good.       *  m.  Syr.  Tar.  beryl.        3  m.  toward  the  east.        •*  SV  the 
Euphrates. 

where,  according  to  10  :  29  ( J2),  the  land  of  Havilah  seems  to  have  been 
situated.  Here  there  was  gold,  says  the  text;  also  the  Assyrian  King 
Tiglath-pileser  III.,  who  received  a  quantity  of  it  as  tribute  from  one 
of  the  kings  of  the  region. 

12.  Good.     Better,  as   in   the   Samaritan  text   and   the  Vulgate, 
very  good.     Bdellium  ;  a  yellowish   aromatic  gum  known  to   have 
been  found  in  ancient  times  in  Arabia.     The  onyx  stone  ;  more  prob- 
ably as  in   the  margin,  the  beryl.     See   Ex.  28  :  9,  20,  where  it   is 
among  the  symbolic  ornaments  of  the  high  priest's  ephod. 

13.  The  identity  of  the  Gihon,  also,  is  doubtful;   but,  if  the  Pishon 
is  one  of  the  great  canals  of  Babylonia,  the  probability  is  that  this  river 
is  another.     Such  is  the  opinion  of  Fried.  Delitzsch,  who  identifies 
it  with  the  Gu'ande,  now  Shatt  en-Nil,  a  canal  that  left  the  Euphrates 
at  Babylon  and,  after  sending  a  branch  eastward  to  the  Tigris,  flowed 
southward  past  the  ancient  cities  of  Nippur  and  Uruk,  rejoining  the 
Great  River  in  the  vicinity  of  Ur.     If  this  is  correct,  Cush  is  here,  as  in 
10  :  8  ff.  (J2),  not  Ethiopia,  but  Babylonia. 

14.  The  identifications  suggested  are  favored  by  the  fact  that  the 
other  two  rivers  are  the  Tigris  and  the  Euphrates.    The  former  is 
here  called  Hiddekel,  Ass.  Idiglat,  and  described  as  flowing  in  front 
of  Assyria ;    i.e.,   perhaps,  through  the  eastern  part  of  that  country. 
The  river  Euphrates  needed  no  description.     It  seems  impossible  to 
regard  the  four   streams  above  mentioned  as  branches  from  one 
source ;  still,  as  has  been  shown,  they  were  really  connected,  and  later 
Jews  have  recognized  in  the  Euphrates  the  river  of  Paradise,  saying  of 
it,  "  when  it  divides,  the  others  branch  from  it  on  either  side,  but  it 
flows  straight  onward  and  forms  in  its  course  the  fourth."     If,  how- 
ever, this  was  the  thought  of  the  author,  it  is  evident  that  he  did  not 
locate  the  garden  in  Arabia,  but  in  Babylonia,  an  ancient  name  for 
which  was  Karduniash,  The  Garden  of  the  Lord  of  the  Lands. 

15.  The  description  of  the  river  being  complete,  the  reader  is  brought 
back  by  the  repetition  of  the  statement  made  in  v.  8,  and  the  ex- 

42 


GENESIS 

the  LORD  God  *  took  the  man,  and  put  him  into  the  gar- 

16.  den  of  Eden  °to  dress  it  and  to  keep  it.  |  And  the  LORD 
God  *  commanded  1  the  man,1  saying,  °Of  every  tree  of 

17.  the  garden  thou  mayest  freely  eat:    but  of  °the  tree 
*  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,t  thou  shalt  not  eat 
of  it :  for  °in  the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof  thou  shalt 
surely  die. 

-18.       And  the  LORD  God  *  said,  °It  is  not  good  that  the  man 
should  be  alone ;  I  will  make  him  °an 2  help  3  meet  for 3 

1  Gr.  Adam.       •  SV  a  always  before  h  aspirated.       s  m.  answering  to. 


planation  that  Yahweh  put  the  man  into  the  garden  to  dress  it  and 
to  keep  it. 

16.  This  verse  is  the  proper  continuation  of  v.  9.     First  Yahweh 
grants  a  general  permission.     Of  every  tree,  better,  of  all  the  trees, 
of  the  garden  thou  mayest  freely,  or  indeed,  eat. 

17.  There  follows  immediately  a  restriction.     In  the  present  text 
the  tree  to  which  it  applies  is  described  as  the  tree  of  the  knowledge 
of  good  and  evil ;    but,  since  it  is  evident  that  the  woman,  before  she 
was  tempted,  did  not  know  what  would  be  the  effect  of  eating  of  its 
fruit,  and  that  it  was  better  for  her  and  her  husband  not  to  know, 
the  original  reading  here,  as  in  3  :  3,  must  have  been,  the  tree  which 
is  in  the  midst  of  the  garden.    The  change  was  made  when  the  tree  of 
life  was  introduced  into  the  story.    The  reason  for  the  prohibition  is 
not  given.    The  natural  explanation  is  that  the  author  regarded  child- 
hood as  the  ideal  state,  and  that,  therefore,  he  believed  the  first  man 
to  have  been  morally  as  immature  and  irresponsible  as  a  child,  and  his 
Maker  to  have  planned  to  keep  him  in  this  condition.    To  prevent 
him  from  thoughtlessly  forfeiting  his  happiness  Yahweh  adds  a  pen- 
alty, in  the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof  thou  shalt  surely  die.     He 
puts  it,  however,  in  such  a  way  that  it  can  be  interpreted  otherwise, 
and  the  serpent  later  takes  advantage  of  this  ambiguity.      See  3  : 
4f. 

(c)  The  first  woman,  2  :  18-25.  Yahweh,  finding  that  the  hap- 
piness of  the  man  is  incomplete,  undertakes  to  provide  him  with  a 
companion,  and,  after  many  trials,  in  which  the  lower  animals  are 
produced,  succeeds  and  presents  him  with  his  counterpart. 

18.  It  is  not  good  is  characteristic  of  this  nai've  recital.     Compare 
the  goodness  of  everything  created  in  the  first  account.     An  help 
meet  for  him ;   his  equal  and  complement. 

43 


GENESIS 


19.  him.     °And  out  of  the  ground  the  LORD  God  *  formed  * 
°every  beast  of  the  field,  and  °every  fowl  of  the  air ;  and 
brought  them  unto  the  man  °to  see  what  he  would  call 
them :   and  whatsoever  the  man  called  °evexy  *  living 

20.  creature,t  that  was  the  name  thereof.     °And  the  man 
gave  names  to  all  cattle,  and  to 2  the  fowl  of  the  air,  and 
to  every  beast  of  the  field;  but  for  man  *  there  was  not 

21.  found  an  help  meet  for  him.     And  the  LORD  God* 
caused  a  °deep  sleep  to  fall  upon  the  man,  and  he 

1  Sam.  Gr.  further  formed.      '  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  add,  all.      3  m.  Adam. 


19.  The  rendering,   And  out  of  the  ground  the  LORD  formed, 

misses  the  connection  and  misplaces  the  emphasis.  Read,  Then  the 
LORD  formed.  The  idea  is  that  Yahweh  created  them  in  an  endeavor 
to  produce  something  that  would  meet  the  man's  need.  For  every 
beast  and  every  fowl  it  would  be  better  to  say,  with  the  Greek  Version, 
all  the  beasts  and  all  the  birds.  Observe  that  Yahweh  uses  the  same 
material  for  the  animals  as  for  the  man,  and  takes  the  same  pains. 
The  author  would  probably  have  said  that  he  breathed  into  their 
nostrils  also  "  the  breath  of  life."  Only  two  classes  are  mentioned. 
Perhaps  the  cattle,  which  appear  in  v.  20,  have  fallen  out.  There  is  no 
separate  class  of  creeping  things  in  this  account;  nor  are  the  fishes 
mentioned.  They  were  all  brought  to  the  man  to  see  what  he  would 
call  them,  i.e.,  since  the  Hebrews  thought  of  names  as  representing 
the  things  named,  to  see  what  they  were,  and  at  the  same  time  to  de- 
cide whether  any  of  them  was  suited  to  his  need.  In  the  next  clause 
the  phrase  living  creature  is  a  gloss  and  the  word  every  an  addition 
by  the  translators.  The  remainder  may  be  rendered,  whatsoever  the 
man  called  one,  that  "was  its  name. 

20.  And  the  man  gave.     Better,  Thus,  the  man  gave.    The  list  of 
animals  should  be  rendered,  all  the  cattle,  all  (Gr.  Vg.  Syr.)  the  birds 
of  heaven,  all  the  beasts  of  the  field.     In  the  last  clause  the  original  has 
and  for  Adam  he  found  not;   but  Adam  is  certainly  a  mistake  for  the 
man,  i.e.,  the  same  noun  with  the  article,  and  it  is  probable  that  the 
verb  should  be  passive  as  it  is,  not  only  in  the  English,  but  in  the  Greek, 
Latin,  and  Syriac  translations. 

21.  The  deep  sleep  that  fell  upon  the  man  prevented  him  from 
suffering.    There  is  nothing  to  indicate  that  it  lasted  beyond  the 
length  of  time  required  for  removing  one  of  his  ribs  and  closing  the 
wound. 


GENESIS 


slept;   and  he  took  °one  of  his  ribs,  and  closed  up  the 

22.  flesh  instead  thereof:    and  °the  rib,  which  the  LORD 
God  *  had  taken  from  the  man,  10  made  he1  a  woman, 

23.  and  °bro ught  her  unto  the  man.     And  the  man  said, 
°This  is  now  bone  of  my  bones,  and  flesh  of  my  flesh : 
she  shall  be  called  Woman,  because  she  was  taken  out 

24.  of  Man.2     °Therefore  shall  a  man  leave  his  father  and 
his  mother,  and  shall  cleave  unto  his  wife,  and  they  s 

25.  shall  be  one  flesh.     And  °they  were  both  naked,  the 
man  and  his  wife,  and  °were  not  ashamed. 

1  m.  builded  he  into.       '  Sam.  Gr.  Tar.  her  man.        3  Sam.  from  the  two  of  them; 
Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  they  two. 

22.  The  rib  thus  secured  made  he,  lit.  built  into,  a  woman.     Where 
the  work  was  done,  the  writer  does  not  indicate;   but  it  was  not  in  the 
man's  presence,  for  he  brought  her  unto  the  man,  as  he  had  brought 
all  the  animals. 

23.  The  man  at  once  recognizes  his  mate.     This  is  now,  lit.  this 
time,  bone  of  my  bones,  one  of  my  bones ;  and  flesh  of  my  flesh,  a  part 
of  my  flesh.    The  name  given  the  new  creature  is  an  instance  of  the 
fondness  of  the  Hebrew  for  alliteration  and  paronomasia;  for  the  words 
for  the  male  and  female  of  the  human  species  are  as  nearly  alike  in 
Hebrew  as  in  English,  man  being  'tsh,  and  woman  'tsshdh.    The 
aptness  of  the  figure  in  this  case  becomes  even  more  noticeable  if, 
with  the  Samaritans,  one  reads  her  man,  Heb.  'ishdh.     It  is,  of  course, 
taken  for  granted  that  the  first  pair  spoke  Hebrew. 

24.  Therefore,  because  she  is  a  part  of  him,  and  he  is  incomplete 
without  her,  shall  a  man,  if  necessary,  leave  his  father  and  his  mother, 
break  the  strongest  of  other  ties,  and  they  shall  be  one  flesh,  that  they 
may  realize  the  ideal  of  marriage.     It  is  difficult  to  decide  to  whom 
these  words  should  be  attributed,  but  it  seems  more  like  the  author 
to  put  them  into  the  mouth  of  one  of  his  characters  than  to  interject 
them  as  an  expression  of  his  own  convictions.     In  the  last  clause  the 
Samaritans  and  the  Versions  have  the  numeral  two,  and  this  is  the 
reading  recognized  in  the  New  Testament.     See  Mt.    19  :  5;    Mk. 
10  :  8;    i  Cor.  6  :  16.     It  is  not,  however,  so  important  as  some  have 
claimed.     It  has  no  reference  to  the  number  of  wives  permissible,  but 
simply  defines  the  number  of  parties  in  any  given  case  to  the  marriage 
relation. 

25.  They  were  both  naked.    Clothes  were  not  required  for  comfort, 
and,  as  for   propriety,  —  they  were  not  ashamed.    They  were  well 

45 


3  :  i  GENESIS 


2.    The  Entrance  of  Evil,  3  :  1-24 

J     3.       Now  °the  serpent  was  °more  subtil  than  any  beast  of 
the  field  which  the  LORD  God  *  had  made.     And  he  1 

1  Gr.  Syr.  the  serpent. 

developed  physically,  and,  as  appears  from  the  man's  ability  to  name 
the  animals,  intellectually ;  but,  being  without  the  knowledge  of  good 
and  evil,  they  were  as  unconscious  and  innocent  in  their  nudity  as  a 
pair  of  babies. 

The  first  account  of  creation  was  scientific,  if  one  may  use  the  term 
of  a  product  of  the  fifth  century  before  the  Christian  era.  This  being 
the  case,  there  was  some  justice  in  testing  it  by  modern  theories  of  the 
origin  of  the  material  world.  This  second  is  poetical.  The  question, 
therefore,  with  reference  to  it  is  not,  Does  it  convince?  but  Does  it 
inspire?  Judged  by  such  a  standard  it  deserves  its  place  in  Holy 
Writ;  for  although,  for  example,  it  is  impossible  to  believe  that  the 
first  woman  was  made  from  one  of  the  first  man's  ribs,  it  cannot  be 
denied  that  the  ideal  of  marriage  which  this  picture  suggests  is  worthy 
of  all  admiration.  The  excellence  of  both  of  these  accounts  is  most 
clearly  seen  when  they  are  compared  with  the  fantastic  cosmogonies 
of  other  peoples.  For  those  of  the  Babylonians,  with  which  the 
Hebrews  were  evidently  acquainted,  see  Pinches,  Old  Testament,  9  ff.; 
Jastrow,  Religion  of  Babylonia  and  Assyria,  407  ff. 

How  long  the  beauty  and  harmony  of  the  newly  created  world  re- 
mained unmarred  the  book  of  Genesis  does  not  disclose,  but  both  of  the 
narratives  used  in  these  first  chapters  teach  that  evil  finally  entered, 
bringing  confusion,  suffering,  and  disaster  in  its  train.  The  Judean 
has  an  ingenious  and  suggestive  description  of  the  circumstances  under 
which  it  made  its  appearance,  and  the  immediate  result  to  the  first 
pair  as  representatives  of  humanity. 

(i)  The  serpent  and  its  work,  3  :  1-7 

The  serpent  by  its  cunning  persuades  the  woman,  and  through  her 
the  man,  to  partake  of  the  forbidden  fruit;  whereupon  they  suddenly 
become  possessed  of  the  power  they  lacked. 

i.  The  serpent  is  neither  Satan  in  disguise  nor  an  allegorical  figure. 
This  is  clear  from  the  immediate  connection,  for  the  expression  more 
subtil  than  any  beast  (better,  all  the  beasts)  of  the  field  is  the  Hebrew 
way  of  saying  more  subtil  than  any  other  beast  of  the  field.  In  other 

46 


GENESIS 


said  unto  the  woman,  °Yea,  hath  God  said,  Ye  shall  not 

2.  eat  of  01any  tree1  of  the  garden?    And  the  woman 
said  unto  the  serpent,  Of  *  the  fruit  of 2  the  trees  of  the 

3.  garden  we  may  eat:  but  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  which  is 
in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  God  hath  said,  Ye  shall  not 

4.  eat  of  it,  °neither  shall  ye  touch  it,  lest  ye  die.     And  the 
serpent  said  unto  the  woman,  °Ye  shall  not  surely  die: 

5.  for  °God  doth  know  that  in  the  day  ye  eat  thereof,  then 
your  eyes  shall  be  opened,  and  °ye  shall  be  as  God,3 

1  m.  all  the  trees.    •  Gr.  all;  Syr.  the  fruit  of  all.     3  m.  Gr.  Syr.  gods;  Tar.  princes. 

words,  the  serpent  is  here  expressly  classified  with  the  wild  animals. 
See  further  vs.  14  f.  This  interpretation  is  not  forbidden  by  the  fact 
that  it  is  represented  as  speaking.  The  author  probably  thought  that 
all  animals  were  originally  gifted  with  speech.  At  any  rate,  he  cred- 
its this  one  with  such  power,  and,  in  addition,  with  a  shrewdness  as 
wonderful  as  that  of  the  fox  in  the  fables.  See  Lk.  13  :  32.  Yea,  hath 
God  said  ?  or  Hath  God  really  said  ?  denotes  incredulity  and  condi- 
tional disapprobation.  Note  that  the  serpent  is  not  permitted  to  use 
the  name  Yahweh.  The  rendering  any  tree  can  hardly  be  correct. 
God  said  that  the  man  and  his  wife  might  eat  of  all  but  one.  To  put 
into  his  mouth  a  denial  of  them  all  would  be  more  reckless  than  cun- 
ning; but  to  represent  him  as  saying,  Y e  shall  not  eat  of  all  the  trees  of 
the  garden,  i.e.,  to  change  the  emphasis  from  the  positive  to  the  neg- 
ative part  of  the  divine  utterance,  is  a  shrewd  device  to  mislead  with- 
out lying  worthy  of  its  author.  See  v.  4  f. 

2  f.  The  woman  restores  the  emphasis  to  the  positive  permission, 
but  by  adding  to  the  prohibition  neither  shall  ye  touch  it  she  herself 
accuses  her  Maker  of  severity.  The  fact  that  she  describes  the  for- 
bidden tree  by  its  position,  as  has  already  been  suggested,  indicates 
that  she  is  ignorant  of  its  real  properties.  See  2:17  and  comments. 

4.  It  is  not  clear  how  one  should  suppose  the  woman  to  have  under- 
stood the  threat  of  death.    The  serpent  cunningly  interprets  it  as 
meaning  that  death  will  be  the  direct  effect  of  eating  from  the  forbidden 
tree  and  boldly  rejects  any  such  idea.     Ye  shall  not  surely  die;    or 
better,  Ye  shall  by  no  means  die. 

5.  Having  thus  broken  the  force  of  the  divine  warning,  the  serpent 
describes  the  real  effect  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  but  as  something  greatly 
to  be  desired.     At  the  same  time,  by  asserting  that  God  doth  know 
all  this,  it  transforms  his  paternal  anxiety  into  jealousy  of  his  creatures. 
In  the  clause,  ye  shall  be  as  God,  the  Greek  and  Syriac  versions  have 

47 


GENESIS 


6.  knowing  good  and  evil.     And  when  °the  woman  saw 
that  the  tree  was  °good  for  food,  and  that  it  was  °a  de- 
light to  the  eyes,  and  that  the  tree  was  1  to  be  desired  * 
°to  make  one  wise,  she  took  of  the  fruit  thereof,  and  did 
eat;  and  °she  gave  also  unto  her  husband  with  her,  and 

7.  he  did  eat.     And  °the  eyes  of  them  both  were  opened, 
and  °they  knew  that  they  were  naked ;   and  they  sewed 
fig  leaves  together,  and  °made  themselves  aprons.2 

J     8.       And    they    heard  °the  voice3  of   the  LORD  God* 
walking  in   the   garden  °in  the  cool  of  the  day:  and 

1  m.  desirable  w  look  upon.      *  m.  girdles.      3  m.  sound. 

gods,  and  this  is  a  possible  rendering,  but  it  does  not  essentially  affect 
the  sense. 

6.  The  serpent's  trick  of  concealing  a  great,  but  remote,  evil  behind 
a  smaller,  but  nearer,  good  was  successful.     The  woman  saw  only  that 
the  tree,  or  its  fruit,  was  good  for  food,  and  not  harmful;   a  delight 
to  the  eyes,  tempting  in  appearance;   and  desirable  to  make  one  wise 
with  respect  to  good  and  evil.     She  gave  also  unto  her  husband,  who 
seems  not  to  have  been  present  during  her  interview  with  the  serpent. 

7.  The  eyes  of  them  were  opened.    They  suddenly  found  themselves 
possessed  of  the  capacity  for  moral  judgments.    The  first  result  of 
the  operation  of  the  new  faculty  was  that  they  knew  they  were  naked. 
i.e.,  for  the  first  time  in  their  lives  experienced  a  sense  of  unfitness  in 
their  nude  condition.     If  they  had  continued  in  this  condition,  the 
next  phase  of  their  experience  would  have  been  a  sense  of  condemna- 
tion, but  they  forestalled  it  when  they  made  themselves  aprons.     Why 
they  chose  fig  leaves  for  this  purpose  does  not  appear,  unless  it  was 
because  the  fig  tree,  as  one  of  the  principal  sources  of  their  food,  was 
more  familiar  to  them  than  others.    The  appearance  of  this  tree  in  the 
story  has  a  bearing  on  the  location  of  Paradise.     It  is  not  native  to 
Babylonia. 

(2)  The  penalties  of  disobedience,  3  :  8-24 

Yahweh  appears  on  the  scene,  arraigns  the  offenders  one  after 
another,  pronounces  sentence  upon  them,  and  finally  expels  the  man 
and  his  wife  from  the  garden.  In  vs.  22  and  24  (J2)  the  tree  of  life 
appears  again  in  a  second  conclusion. 

8.  The  voice.     Better,  as  in  the  margin,  the  sound,  of  the  LORD, 
walking  in  the  garden,  taking  his  pleasure,  as  he  was  accustomed  to 
do.     In  the  cool,  lit.  -wind,  of  the  day ;  toward  evening,  when  the  wind 

48 


GENESIS 

0 1  the  man  l  and  his  wife  hid  themselves  from  the  pres- 
ence of  the  LORD  God  *  amongst  the  trees  of  the  gar- 
9.  den.  And  °the  LORD  God  *  called  unto  the  man,  and 

10.  said  unto  him, 2  Where  art  thou  ?  *  And  he  said,  I  heard 
thy  voice 3  in  the  garden,  and  °1 4  was  afraid,  because  4  I 

n.  was  naked;  and  I  hid  myself.  And  he  said,  °Who 
told  thee  that  thou  wast  naked?  Hast  thou  eaten  of 
the  tree  whereof  I  commanded  thee  that  thou  shouldest 

12.  not  eat?     And  the  man  said,  The  woman  °whom  thou 
gavest  to  be  with  me,  she  gave  me  of  the  tree,  and  I  did 

13.  eat.     And  the  LORD  God  *  said  unto  the  woman,  What 
is  this  thou  hast  done  ?     And  the  woman  said,  The  ser- 

14.  pent  beguiled  me,  and  I  did  eat.     And  the  LORD  God  * 
said  unto    the   serpent,  Because  thou  hast  done  this, 


1  Sam.  Adam.  *  Gr.  Adam,  where  art  thou?    Syr.  Where  art  thou,  Adam? 

3  m.  sound.      *  Syr.  saw  that. 


began  to  blow.  The  man  and  his  wife  hid  themselves.  The  usual 
explanation  is  that  they  were  driven  so  to  do  by  a  sense  of  guilt.  It  is 
more  probable,  however,  that  the  author  here  also  intends  to  represent 
them  as  prompted  by  modesty.  The  story  gains  in  effectiveness  on 
this  supposition.  They  were  surprised  in  the  midst  of  their  efforts  to 
provide  themselves  with  clothing,  and  naturally  took  refuge  amongst 
the  trees  of  the  garden. 

9.  The  LORD  called  :   another  strongly  anthropomorphic  touch. . 

10.  If  the  explanation  given  to  v.  8  is  correct,  this  one  must  be  in- 
terpreted as  meaning  that  the  man,  forgetting  for  the  time  being  that 
he  had  disobeyed  Yahweh,  unconsciously  betrayed  himself  by  the  ex- 
planation, I  was  afraid,  because,  or,  as  the  Syriac  Version  reads,  I 
sa-w  that,  I  was  naked. 

11.  The  climax  is  reached  when  Yahweh  asks,  Who  told  thee  that 
thou  wast  naked  ?    There  is  nothing  finer,  from  the  dramatic  stand- 
point, in  the  Old  Testament.    The  second  question  is  at  the  same  time 
an  accusation. 

12.  The  man  so  understands  it,  and  attempts  a  cowardly  defence. 
He  even,  in  the  descriptive  clause,  whom  thou  gavest  to  be  with  me, 
undertakes  to  make  his  Maker  a  partner  in  her  guilt. 

14.    Finding  that  the  serpent  was  the  original  offender,  Yahweh  first 
E  49 


I5  GENESIS 


cursed  art  thou  °above  l  all  cattle,  and  above  *  °every 
beast  of  the  field;    °upon  thy  belly  shalt  thou  go,  and 

15.  °dust  shalt  thou  eat  all  the  days  of  °thy  life:  and  I  will 
put  °enmity  between  thee  and  the  woman,  and  between 
°thy  seed  and  °her  seed :    °it 2  shall  bruise  3  thy  head, 

16.  °and  thou  shalt  bruise 3  his  heel.     Unto  4  the  woman  he 
said,  I  will  greatly  multiply  thy  °sorrow 5  °*  and  thy 
conception  f ;   in  °sorrow 5  thou  shalt  bring  forth  chil- 

1  m.  from  among.      '  SV  he.     *  m.  lie  in  wait  for.     *  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  And  unto. 
s  SV  pain;  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  plu. 


pronounces  sentence  upon  it.  It  is  cursed  above  all  cattle;  better, 
all  the  cattle,  and  every  beast  of  the  field;  better,  all  the  beasts,  i.e.,  the 
other  beasts,  of  the  field.  In  other  words,  it  is  condemned  to  a  lot 
more  miserable  than  that  of  any  other  animal.  It  will  be  transformed; 
for  the  decree,  upon  thy  belly  shalt  thou  go,  implies  that  the  serpent 
originally  had  a  different  form  and  less  disagreeable  habits.  Dust 
shalt  thou  eat  is  a  mere  detail.  An  animal  condemned  to  wriggle 
in  the  dust  could  hardly  avoid  swallowing  more  or  less  of  it.  By  thy 
life  is  meant  the  duration,  not  of  the  individual  that  tempted  the 
woman,  but  of  the  species  of  which  it  was  the  first  representative. 

15.  A  still  more  serious  infliction  is  the  enmity  which  Yahweh 
declares  he  will  establish.     Thy  seed  includes  all  serpents  and  her 
seed  the  whole  human  race.    Thus,  according  to  the  author,  arose  the 
instinctive  antipathy  and  hostility  between   man  and  snakes.       He 
proceeds  to  show  how  this  enmity  will  assert  itself.     It,  better,  with 
SV,  he,  meaning  man,  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and   the  heads  of  thy 
offspring;    and  thou,  with  thy  offspring,  shalt  bruise  his  heel.     The 
fact  that  man  aims  at  the  serpent's  head,  and  the  serpent  at  man's 
heel  argues  nothing  as  to  the  result  of  the  feud.    The  head  is  simply 
the  part  where  man  can  most  effectually  attack  the  serpent,  and  man's 
heel  the  place  where  the  serpent  can  most  easily  inject  its  venom. 

16.  The  sentence  pronounced  upon  the  woman  is  more  difficult 
of  interpretation.     If,  however,  the  phrase,  and  thy  conception,  which 
introduces  a  foreign  thought,  be  removed,  there  is  less  difficulty.     Next 
the  rendering  of  the  first  clause  must  be  corrected.     It  implies  that  the 
woman   was   already   acquainted   with   sorrow.     What   the   author 
really  meant  to  make  Yahweh  say  is,  I  will  cause  thee  sore  pain, 
which  is  immediately  explained  as  referring  to  childbirth.     It  is  not 
motherhood,  then,  that  is  here  decreed,  but  the  suffering  which  all 
mothers  might  have  been  spared  had  the  first  one  not  disobeyed  her 


GENESIS 


dren;   and  thy  °desire  shall  be  to  thy  husband,  and  he 

17.  shall  rule  over  thee.     And  unto  °Adam*  he  said,  Be- 
cause thou  hast  hearkened  unto  the  voice  of  thy  wife, 
and  hast  eaten  of  the  tree  of  which  I  commanded  thee, 
saying,  Thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it :  cursed  is  °the  ground 
for  thy  sake;  in  °toil *  shalt  thou  eat  of  it  °all  the  days 

18.  of  thy  life;  °thorns  also  and  thistles  shall  it  bring  forth 

19.  to  thee;  and  thou  shalt  eat  °the  herb  of  the  field;  in  the 
sweat  of  thy  face  shalt  thou  eat  bread,  till  thou  return 
unto  the  ground;    °*  for  out  of  it  thou  wast  taken  f: 
for  °dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou  return. 

«  Gr.  Vg.  plu. 

Maker.  The  second  part  of  the  sentence  pronounced  upon  the  woman 
has  generally  been  understood  as  reflecting  upon  the  continence  of  the 
sex;  but  the  term  desire  here,  as  in  Song  of  Sol.  7  :  10,  may  mean 
simply  affection,  and  the  whole  that  men  will  take  advantage  of  their 
wives'  very  fondness  for  them  to  oppress  them.  Compare  the  ideal 
relation  suggested  in  2  :  24. 

17.  The  woman's  plea  was  ignored.    That  of  the  man,  here  by 
mistake  called  Adam,  is  noted  only  to  be  overruled.    The  ground  of 
his  condemnation  is,  Because  thou  hast  hearkened  unto  the  voice  of 
thy  wife.    The  evident  teaching  is  that  temptation  is  no  excuse  for 
transgression.     For  his  fault  the  man  is  punished  through  the  ground, 
whose  fruits  he  has  heretofore  enjoyed  without  labor.     Henceforth 
they  will  cost  him  toil,  here  painful  labor,  the  Hebrew  word  being 
the  same  used  of  the  pains  of  childbirth.     After  the  words,  all  the 
days  of  thy  life,  supply  in  thought,  and  thy  children  after  thee. 

18.  The  ground,  cursed  for  the  man's  sake,  will  not  only  become 
less  fruitful;  thorns  also  and  thistles,  hitherto  unknown,  shall  it  bring 
forth.     Instead  of  plucking  his  food  at  will  from  the  trees,  he  will  be 
compelled  to  eat  the  herb  of  the  field.    Compare  i  :  29,  according  to 
which  the  "  herb  yielding  seed  "  was  a  part  of  his  food  from  the  be- 
ginning. 

19.  Now  at  last  Yahweh  introduces  the  penalty  with  which  he  had 
threatened  the  man  in  case  of  disobedience;  at  first  incidentally,  then 
in  the  solemn  announcement,  dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou 
return.    Thus,   "  through  one  man  "  death  entered  the  world  and 
"  passed  unto  all  men."    The  parenthetical  clause,  for  out  of  it  thou 
wast  taken,  is  probably  an  interpolation. 


GENESIS 


J2  20.    |  And  the  man  called  his  wife's  name  °Eve;    because 

J  21.  she  was  the  mother  of  all  living.  |  And  the  LORD  God  * 
made  for  °Adam  *  and  for  his  wife  °coats  of  skins,  and 

J3  22.  clothed  them.  |  And  the  LORD  God  *  saijd,  Behold, 
the  man  is  become  as  one  of  us,  to  know  good  and 
evil;  and  now,  lest  he  put  forth  his  hand,  and  take  also 

J  23.  of  the  tree  of  life,  and  eat,  and  °live  forever:  |  there- 
fore the  LORD  God  *  sent  him  forth  from  the  garden 
*  of  Eden,f  °to  till  the  ground  from  whence  he  was  taken. 

J2   24.    |  So  he  drove  out  the  man;   and  he  placed  l  at  the  east 

1  Gr.  adds,  him. 

20.  This  verse  is  evidently  misplaced.     It  is  inconceivable  that  the 
author  of  the  foregoing  inimitable  story  should  have  represented  the 
first  man  as  taking   this  opportunity  to  name   his  wife  Eve  (Heb. 
Hawwah,  Life).    The  proper  place  for  it  is  after  4:1,  where  she 
first  becomes  a  mother,  or  better,  after  4  :  25. 

21.  Here  again,  through  the  carelessness  of  a  copyist,  Adam  has 
taken  the  place  of  the  man.    The  coats  of  skins  are  a  token  of  the 
recognition  by  Yahweh  of  an  accomplished  fact.     Since  the  man  and 
his  wife  have  actually  acquired  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  he 
helps  them  to  adjust  themselves  to  this  experience.    The  skins  from 
which  these  first  garments  were  made  must  have  been  taken  from 
animals  slain  by  Yahweh's  permission  for  the  purpose. 

22.  In  this  verse  the  reader  is  suddenly  transported  from  the 
garden  to  the  court  of  heaven,  where  Yahweh  is  holding  a  council  with 
his  angels.     He  states  the  case  as  if  it  had  not  already  been  decided, 
and  then,  instead  of  asserting  his  own  power  over  life  and  death,  as 
he  did  in  v.  19,  proposes  to  deprive  the  offender  of  access  to  a  tree 
of  life,  of  which  if  he  should  eat  he  might  still  live  forever. 

23.  In  the  story  as  originally  written  this  verse  immediately  fol- 
lowed v.  21  and  formed  the  conclusion.    The  connection  can  be  re- 
stored by  substituting  for  therefore  the  more  correct  rendering  then. 
The  final  act  of  Yahweh  is  stated  as  simply  as  possible.    The  man, 
and  naturally  his  wife  with  him,  is  sent  forth,  to  till  the  ground  from 
whence  he  was  taken.     He  thus  becomes  the  first  husbandman. 

24.  This  verse  is  a  parallel  to  v.  23,  but  very  different  in  tone  and 
teaching.    The  impression  made  by  v.   23   is  that,  when  Yahweh 
commands,  man  has  only  to  obey.     Here  Yahweh,  after  expelling 
man  from  the  garden,  is  obliged  to  guard  the  entrance  to  prevent  him. 

52 


GENESIS  3  :  24 


of  the  garden  of  Eden  l  °the  Cherubim,  and  °the  flame 
of  a  sword  which  turned  every  way,  to  keep  the  way  of 
the  tree  of  life. 

1  Gr.  ins.  and  stationed. 


from  returning.  The  Cherubim;  winged  figures  that  are  sometimes 
represented  as  bearers  of  the  Deity  and  sometimes,  as  in  this  instance, 
as  guardians  of  sacred  places.  See  Ex.  25  :  18  ff.;  i  Kgs.  6  :  23  ff. 
They  seem  to  have  symbolized  the  power  of  Yahweh  as  seen  in  storms. 
Hence,  when  they  move,  lightning  attends  them.  See  Ezek.  1:13; 
Ps.  18:  12  1 13.  Here,  also,  there  is  the  flame  of  a  sword,  a  flaming 
sword,  which  turned  every  way,  lit.  that  turned  itself.  See  further, 
Hastings,  DB,  art.  Cherubim. 

This  chapter  is  often  called  "  The  Story  of  the  Fall,"  but  such  a 
title  does  not  properly  describe  it.  The  object  of  the  author  was  to 
answer  some  of  the  questions  that  have  always  troubled  humanity: 
Why  must  women  suffer  as  they  do  in  childbirth  ?  Why  must  men 
labor  as  they  do  for  daily  bread?  and,  Why  must  all  at  last  suc- 
cumb to  death  ?  He  explains  these  experiences  as  penalties  inflicted 
upon  the  race  for  the  fault  of  its  first  representatives.  The  modern 
reader  cannot  accept  this  answer;  but  he  must  admire  the  knowledge 
of  human  nature  displayed  in  the  chapter,  and  subscribe  to  the 
practical  lesson,  "Fear  God  and  keep  his  commandments,"  which 
it  enforces. 


53 


II.   THE  DEGENERATION  OF  MANKIND,  4  :  1-6  :  4 
i.   Cain  and  his  Descendants,  4  :  1-24 

J  4.      And  the  man  knew  °Eve  *  his  wife ;  and  she  conceived, 

and  bare  Cain,  and  said,  °I  have  gotten  a  man1  with0  the 

P  2.  help  of1 2the  LoRD.2|  And  again  she  bare  his  brother  Abel. 

1  Gr.  Vg.  through;  Syr.  for;  Tar.  from.  *  Gr.  Vg.  God. 

The  author  of  chapter  3  did  not  attempt  to  trace  the  moral  effects 
of  the  first  disobedience.  A  later  writer  (J2),  however,  whose  work 
finally  became  a  part  of  the  same  narrative,  undertook  to  show  that 
mankind  grew  worse  from  one  generation  to  another  until  Yahweh 
was  obliged  to  destroy  them.  The  Priestly  narrative,  although  it 
recorded  no  fall,  taught  the  same  doctrine.  When,  therefore,  it  was 
added  to  the  compilation,  this  thought  became  very  prominent.  It 
is  first  presented  in  connection  with  the  story  of  the  Cainitcs. 

In  this  section  have  been  brought  together  materials  from  two 
sources,  the  story  of  the  first  murderer  (J2)  having  been  inserted  into 
an  older  (J)  genealogy  of  theCainites  and  it  must  be  read  in  the  light 
of  this  fact. 

(i)  The  first  murderer,  4  :  1-16 

Cain,  angry  and  jealous  because  Abel's  sacrifice  is  accepted  and  his 
own  rejected,  slays  his  brother.  Being  called  to  account  by  Yahweh, 
he  at  first  treats  the  matter  lightly,  but  on  receiving  a  sentence  of 
banishment,  realizes  its  seriousness,  and  receives  a  mitigation  of  his 
punishment. 

1.  The  name  Eve,  as  explained  under  3:  20,  could  hardly  be  used 
until  after  this  verse.     Read,  theretore,  simply  his  wife,  as  in  the  pre- 
ceding chapter.    Note  that  it  is  the  mother  who  names  the  child.    The 
words  put  into  her  mouth,  I  have  gotten  a  man,  must  not  be  inter- 
preted as  meaning  that  the  name  Cain  is  derived  from  the  Hebrew 
verb  Kanah,  get.     It  is  only  another  of  the  numerous  instances  of 
alliteration  found  in  this  book.     See  2 :  7 ;  5 :  29.     In  the  last  phrase 
the  translators  have  supplied  the  help  of,  but  the  Targum  reads  front 
•with  =from,  which  is  preferable.     Perhaps  3:20  originally  followed 
this  verse. 

2.  Here  properly  begins  the  story  of  Cain.    The  fact  that  it  calls 

54 


GENESIS  4  :  7 

And  Abel  was  °a  keeper  of  sheep,  but  Cain  was  °a  tiller 

3.  of  the  ground.     And  in  process  of  time  it  came  to  pass, 
that  Cain  brought  of  °the  fruit  of  the  ground  °an  offer- 

4.  ing  unto  the  LORD.     And  Abel,  he  also  brought  of  °the 
firstlings  of  his  flock  *  and  of  °the  fat  thereof,  f     And 
the  LORD  °had  respect  unto  Abel  and  to  his  offering: 

5.  but  unto  Cain  and  to  his  offering  °he  had  not  respect. 
And  Cain  was  very  wroth,  and  °his  countenance  fell. 

6.  And  the  LORD  said  unto  Cain,  Why  art  thou  wroth? 

7.  and  why  is  thy  countenance  fallen?     °If  thou  doest 
well,  01  shalt  thou  not  be  accepted  l  ?  and  if  thou  doest 
not  well,  °sin  coucheth   at  the  door,  *  and  unto  thee 

7a.  Gr.  If  thou  brinqest  rightly,  bul  dost  not  rightly  divide,  hast  thou  not  sinned  ?  Be 
still.  *  m.  SV  shall  it  not  be  lifted  up  ? 

Abel  a  keeper  of  sheep  is  one  of  the  proofs  that  it  did  not  belong  to  the 
original  Judean  narrative,  since  that  says  in  v.  20  that  Jabal  was  the 
first  shepherd.  Cain,  being  the  elder,  followed  the  calling  of  his 
father  and  became  a  tiller  of  the  ground. 

3.  The  fruit  of  the  ground:    tribute  in  kind.     An  offering  unto  the 
LORD.    This  is  the  first  reference  to  worship  or  sacrifice,  but  it  seems 
to  imply  a  practice  of  some  duration. 

4.  The  firstlings  of  his  flock.     In  later  times  the  law  required  that 
the  first-born  of  all  domestic  animals  be  set  apart  to  Yahweh.     See 
Ex.  13  :  12.     When  they  were  offered  in  sacrifice,  however,  it  was  only 
the  fat  thereof,  as  some  one  has  been  careful  to  add  in  this  instance, 
that  was  consumed  on  the  altar.    The  phrase  should  therefore  be  ren- 
dered, even  of  their  fat.    To  this  latter  offering  Yahweh  had  respect, 
gave  heed,  and  showed  it  in  some  way  not  mentioned. 

5.  To  the  other  he  had  not  respect.     In  v.  7  the  Greek  Version  has 
a  rendering  implying  that  Cain  had  not  properly  presented  his  offering, 
but  the  whole  trend  of  the  story  indicates  that  the  reason  why  it  was 
rejected  was  in  the  character  of  the  offerer.     At  any  rate,  Cain  now 
manifests  an  ugly  disposition.     His  countenance  fell;    he  became 
downcast  and  sullen. 

6  f.  Yahweh  first  rebukes  Cain,  then  reasons  with  him.  If  thou 
doest  well  implies  that  Cain  has  not  fulfilled  this  condition.  Shalt 
thou  not  be  accepted?  SV  has  shall  it,  thy  countenance,  not  be 
lifted  up?  A.  more  exact  rendering  would  be,  Is  there  not  uplifting,  i.e., 
of  the  face,  acceptance.  See  32  :  21.  Otherwise  sin  coucheth  at 

55 


4  :  8  GENESIS 

1  shall  be  his  l  desire,  2  and  thou  shalt  rule  over  him.2  f 

8.  And  °Cain  told3  Abel  his  brother.4     And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  they  were  in  °the  field,  that  Cain  rose  up  against 

9.  Abel  his  brother,  and  slew  him.     And  the  LORD  said 
unto  Cain,  Where  is  Abel  thy  brother  ?     And  he  said,  °I 

10.  know  not:   am  I  my  brother's  keeper?     And  he  said, 
What  hast  thou  done  ?  °the  voice  of  thy  brother's  blood 

11.  crieth  unto  me  from  the  ground.     And  now  cursed  art 
thou  °from  the  ground,  which  hath  opened  her 5  mouth 

7b.  Gr.  unto  thee  its  return,  and  thou  shalt  rule  over  it;  Syr.  thou  shalt  return  to 
him,  and  he  shall  rule  over  thee.  '  m.  is  its;  SV  shall  be  its.  *  m.  but  thou  shouldest 
rule  over  it;  SV  but  do  thou  rule  over  it.  3  m.  said  unto.  *  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  add,  Let 
us  go  into  the  field.  *  SV  its. 

the  door.  This  rendering  is  misleading.  In  the  first  place,  the  sen- 
tence should  have  the  interrogative  form.  Secondly,  the  verb,  which 
never  means  to  prepare  for  a  spring,  should  be  translated  by  a  less 
ambiguous  English  word.  Read,  therefore,  Doth  not  sin  lie  at  the 
door  ?  The  meaning  seems  to  be  the  same  as  in  Dt.  29  :  20)19,  where 
Moses  says  of  an  offender,  "  Yahweh  will  not  pardon  him,  but  .... 
the  curse  .  .  .  shall  lie  upon  him."  The  mistaken  interpretation  is 
older  than  the  English  Version.  It  probably  suggested  the  addition 
of  the  last  clause.  The  words  were  taken  from  3  :  16  and  were  ap- 
parently intended  to  teach  that  even  after  being  expelled  from  Para- 
dise man  had  power  to  resist  evil.  The  rendering  that  puts  the  two 
clauses  into  antithesis  (m.  SV),  therefore  is  indefensible.  The 
Syriac,  Thou  shalt  return  to  him  and  he  shall  rule  over  thee,  is  by  no 
means  so  objectionable.  It  means  that  he  who  does  a  wrong  act  puts 
himself  in  danger  of  becoming  the  slave  of  evil. 

8.  The  rendering  Cain  told  Abel  is  clearly  wrong.    The  verb  here 
used  means  say  and  must  be  followed  by  the  thing  said.    The  trans- 
lators should  therefore  have  followed  the  Versions  and  inserted  the 
speech  that  they  have  preserved,  Let  us  go  into  the  field.    The  way  is 
thus  prepared  for  a  reference  to  the  field  where  Cain  slew  his  brother. 

9.  The  reply  of  Cain  to  Yahweh's  inquiry  marks  an  advanced  stage 
of  wickedness.     His  statement,  I  know  not,  was  false,  and  his  question, 
am  I  my  brother's  keeper  ?  as  heartless  as  it  was  impudent. 

10.  The  voice  of  thy  brother's  blood.     An  equally  correct,  and 
more  impressive,  rendering  would  be,  Hark  I  thy  brother's  blood.     See 
Ps.  29  :  4  ff. 

ii  f.  The  phrase  from  the  ground  has  generally  been  interpreted  as 

56 


GENESIS 


12.  to  receive  thy  brother's  blood  from  thy  hand;    when 
thou  tillest  the  ground,  °it  shall  not    henceforth  yield 
unto  thee  her1  strength;    °a  fugitive  and  a  wanderer 

13.  shalt  thou  be  in  the  earth.     And  Cain  said  unto  the 
LORD,  2  My  °punishment 2  is  greater  than  3 1  can  bear.3 

14.  Behold,  thou  hast  driven  me  out  this  day  from  °the  face 
of  the  ground :   and  from  thy  face  shall  I  be  hid ;    and  I 
shall  be  a  fugitive  and  a  wanderer  in  the  earth ;   and  it 
shall  come  to  pass  that  °whosoever  findeth  me  shall 

15.  slay  me.     And  the  LORD  said  unto  him,  Therefore  4 
whosoever  slayeth  Cain,  °vengeance  shall  be  taken  on 
him  sevenfold.5    And  the  LORD  appointed  °a  sign  °for 

1  SV  its.       *  m.  Mine  iniquity.        3  m.  can  be  forgiven.       •*  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Not  so. 
s  Tar.  unto  seven  generations. 


meaning  banishment,  but  the  close  connection  between  the  curse  and 
the  announcement,  it  shall  not  henceforth  yield  unto  thee  her,  bet- 
ter its,  strength,  makes  it  probable  that  the  latter  was  meant  to  ex- 
plain the  former.  The  increased  niggardliness  of  the  soil  would 
naturally  conduce  to  make  the  guilty  man  a  fugitive  and  a  wanderer 
in  the  earth. 

13.  Cain's  reply  is  not,  as  the  margin  would  make  it,  a  confession  of 
iniquity,  but  a  protest  against  the  severity  of  the  punishment  inflicted. 

14.  The  face  of  the  ground  is  here  the  cultivated  region  in  which 
the  murderer  was  born  and  reared.     There  Yahweh  had  revealed 
himself.     One  who  left  it  would  be  hid  from  the  face  of  his  God,  i.e., 
beyond  his  protection.     Whosoever  findeth  me  shall  slay  me.    The 
lex  talionis,  an  immemorial  institution  among  the  Hebrews,  required 
precisely  what  Cain  feared.     See  9  :  6;  Ex.  21  :  12;   Num.  35:  19. 
There  was  not  at  this  time,  however,  so  far  as  one  can  learn  from 
Genesis,  a  human  being  in  existence  except  him  and  his  parents. 
There  is  evidently  something  wrong.    The  most  reasonable  explana- 
tion is  that  this  story  not  only  is  by  a  different  writer  from  the  original 
Jahvist,  but  has  been  inserted  too  early  in  his  narrative. 

15.  The  lex  talionis  is  suspended  in  Cain's  case,  and  any  would-be 
avenger  threatened  with  vengeance  sevenfold;    not,  as  the  Targum 
explains,  to  seven  generations,  but  on  seven  of  his  family.     See  2  Sam. 
21  :  5  ff.       A  sign.    The  nature  of  this  sign  cannot  be  determined. 
Whatever  it  was,  whether  a  word  or  gesture  he  was  instructed  to  use, 

57 


4  :  1 6  GENESIS 


16.  Cain,  lest  any  finding  him  should  smite  him.  And 
Cain  went  out  from  °the  presence  of  the  LORD,  and 
°dwelt  in  the  land  of  °Nod,  l  on  the  east  of  l  Eden. 
J  17.  And  °Cain  knew  his  wife;  and  she  conceived,  and 
bare  °Enoch:  and  °he  builded  a  city,  and  called  the 
name  of  the  city,  °after  the  name  of  *  his  son,f  Enoch. 

1  m.  in  front  of. 

or  a  mark  on  his  body,  it  was  for  Cain,  lest  any  finding  him  should  smite 
him;  more  exactly,  that  any  one  meeting  him  should  not  smite  him. 

16.  The  presence  of  the  LORD :  the  region  in  which  he  had  previously 
lived  under  the  protection  of  Yahweh.    The  latter  half  of  this  verse 
is  usually  attributed  to  the  older  Jahvist,  the  verb  dwelt  being  sup- 
posed to  forbid  its  connection  with  the  foregoing  story;   but  the  name 
Nod  (Wandering)  certainly  favors  such  a  connection.    Moreover  it 
seems  proper  to  say  of  a  nomad  that  he  dwells  in  the  land  in  which  he 
wanders. 

There  is  a  tendency  to  give  to  this  story  a  broader  significance  than 
appears  on  the  surface.  Cain,  say  many  modern  scholars,  is  not  an 
individual  but  a  tribe,  the  Kenites  of  southern  Canaan,  and  the  sign 
appointed  by  Yahweh  their  tribal  mark.  In  favor  of  this  view  is  the 
fact  that  in  Num.  24  :  22  Cain  (Kain)  is  another  name  for  the  Kenite. 
There  are,  however,  two  considerations  that  weigh  heavily  against  it: 
viz.,  that  the  Hebrews  traced  their  own  lineage  from  wandering  an- 
cestors, and  that  they  and  the  Kenites  were  always  on  the  most  friendly 
terms.  See  i  Sam.  15  :  6. 

(2)    The  line  of  Cain,  4  :  17-24 

This  extract  from  the  Judean  narrative  has  the  form  of  a  genealogy, 
but  its  genealogical  outline  is  the  framework  of  a  sketch  of  the 
history  of  the  earliest  civilization. 

17.  Cain  knew  his  wife.     Where  he  got  her,  the  writer  does  not  say. 
If  Cain  is  here  the  son  of  the  first  man,  he  must  have  married  his 
sister.     Perhaps,  however,  as  some  hold,  he  was  the  Kenan  of  5  :  29, 
the  great-grandson  of  Adam;  in  which  case  he  had  a  larger  choice. 
They  had  a  son,  Enoch.     Having  mentioned  his  name,  the  writer 
proceeds  with  the  statement  he  builded  a  city,  the  subject  of  which  one 
naturally  identifies  with  Enoch.    This  interpretation  is  also  favored 
by  the  fact  that  in  v.  20  it  is  the  son  who  is  celebrated.     It  must  there- 
fore have  been  Enoch  who  built  the  first  city  and  called  it,  not  after 
the  name  of  his  son,  but  after  his  own  name. 

58 


GENESIS 

18.  And   unto  Enoch   was  born  Irad:    and   °Irad  begat 
°Mehujael:    and  Mehujael l  begat  °Methushael:    and 

19.  Methushael  begat  °Lamech.     And  Lamech  took  unto 
him  two  wives:    the  name  of  the  one  was  °Adah,  and 

20.  the  name  of  the  other  °Zillah.     And  Adah  bare  Jabal: 
he  was  °the  father  of  such  2  as  dwell  in  tents  and  have 

21.  cattle.     And  his  brother's  name  was  Jubal :  he  was  °the 

22.  father  of  all  such  as  handle  the  harp  and  pipe.     And 
Zillah,  she   also  bare   Tubal-°*cain,3  4  the  forger  f  of 
every  cutting  instrument 4  of  brass  5  and  iron:  and  the 

23.  sister  of  Tubal-*cain  f  was  °Naamah.     And  Lamech 
said  unto  his  wives: 


1  Heb.  Mehijael.      *  Tar.  all  swh.      •'  Gr.  om.       «  m.  an  instructor  of  every  ar- 
tificer ;   Tar.  chief  of  those  skilled  in  work.       s  m.  copper. 


18.  The  next  three  in  the  list,  Irad,  Mehujael  or  Mehijael,  and 
Methushael,  are  mere  names,  with  nothing  to  their  credit.  They  are 
all  capable  of  more  than  one  interpretation.  See  Dillmann.  La- 
mech, or,  more  correctly,  Lemech,  is  the  first  polygamist.  The  names 
of  his  wives,  Adah  (Morning)  and  Zillah,  better  Sillah  (Shadow), 
perhaps  represent  contrasted  types  of  female  beauty.' 

20.  The  father  of  such,  or,  with  the  Targum,  all  such,  as  dwell  in 
tents  and  have  cattle;  the  first  to  lead  the  wandering  life  of  shepherds 
and  herdsmen.    Compare  3  :  2,  where  another  author  makes  Abel 
the  first  shepherd. 

21.  The  father  of  all  such  as  handle  the  harp  and  pipe,  better  the 
pipe;  the  first  musician.     The  instruments  named  are  the  simplest 
used   among   the   Hebrews.    The   first   was   David's   favorite.     See 
i  Sam.  16  :  16  ff.      The  two  are  mentioned  together  Jb.  21  :  12;  30  : 
31.    That  Jabal  and  Jubal  are  brothers  points  to  an  intimate  relation 
between  music  and  the  pastoral  life.    The  Greek  god  Pan  was  a 
musician  as  well  as  a  shepherd. 

22.  The  first  half  of  this  verse,  in  its  present  form,  is  unintelligible. 
The  name  Cain  should  probably  be  omitted,  as  in  the  Greek  Version, 
and  the  remainder  of  the  clause  corrected,  with  the  help  of  the  Tar- 
gum,  to  the  father  of  all  such  as  work  in  brass,  better  copper,  and 
iron.     Naamah  (Pleasant)  is  another  example  of  the  poetical  char- 
acter of  Hebrew  names  for  women. 

23.  The  speech  of  Lemech  furnishes  a  good  illustration  of  the  form 

59 


GENESIS 


°Adah  and  Zillah,  °hear  my  voice; 
°Ye  wives  of  Lamech,  °hearken  unto  my  speech : 
For  I l  have  slain  *  a  man  2  for  wounding  me,2 
And  a  young  man  3  for  bruising  me 3 : 
24.       If  °Cain  shall  °be  avenged  sevenfold, 
Truly  Lamech  seventy  and  sevenfold. 

2.    The  Line  of  Seth,  4  :  25-5  :  32 

J*  25.       And  Adam  knew  his  wife  again4  *;   and  she  bare  a 
son,  and  called  his  name  Seth  5 :     For,  said  she,  °God 

1  m.  will  slay.       *  m.  to  my  wounding.       s  rn.  to  my  hurt.       •*  Gr.  om.       s  m.  Sheth. 

of  Hebrew  poetry.  It  consists  of  six  lines,  which,  although  they  can- 
not be  scanned  by  the  classical  method,  can  be  pronounced  in  ap- 
proximately the  same  length  of  time.  The  most  noticeable  thing 
about  them,  however,  is  that  they  form  pairs  in  which  the  thought  of 
the  first  line  is  repeated  or  otherwise  emphasized  in  the  second.  In 
the  first  couplet  there  is  a  double  parallelism,  Adah  and  Zillah  cor- 
responding to  Ye  wives  of  Lamech,  and  hear  my  voice  to  hearken 
unto  my  speech.  The  next  two  lines  contain  the  gist  of  the  poem, 
the  boast  of  a  savage  returned  from  a  foray.  He  has  slain  two 
persons,  an  older  and  a  younger,  for  a  mere  wound  inflicted  upon  him. 

24.  Cain  does  not  here  seem  to  be  the  same  person  as  in  vs.  2-16, 
but  a  more  heroic  figure  whose  prowess  was  celebrated.  Lemech  is  so 
elated  by  his  recent  achievement  that  he  dreams  of  far  outdoing  even 
him.  For  be  avenged  a  more  suitable  rendering  would  be  avenged 
himself.  The  numerals  are  not  to  be  taken  literally,  but  as  an  ex- 
pression for  an  extravagant  ratio. 

The  aim  of  the  original  author  of  the  above  paragraph  was  to  present 
to  his  readers  some  of  the  traditional  lore  in  which  he  and  they  were 
interested.  He  seems  to  have  seen  in  Lemech  a  picturesque  embodi- 
ment of  the  rude  vigor  of  early  times.  The  compiler,  however,  by 
giving  the  passage  its  present  place  in  his  work  made  him  an  example 
of  the  growing  corruption  for  which  the  race  was  finally  destroyed. 

The  genealogy  of  the  Cainites  was  traced  nearly  to  the  time  of  the 
Flood.  The  narrative  now  returns  to  the  beginning  to  follow  another 
line,  that  of  Seth,  a  third  son  of  Adam.  The  subject  is  presented  under 
two  heads. 

60 


GENESIS 

hath  appointed  me  another  *  seed  *  instead  of  Abel ; 
26.   for  Cain  slew  him.f     And  to  Seth,  to  him  also  there 

was  born  a  son ;  and  °he  called  his  name  Enosh :  ° 1  then 

began  men  *  to  call  upon  the  name  of  the  LORD.2 
5.       This  is  the  book  of  the  generations  of  °Adam.     In  the 

day  that  God  created  man,  in  the  likeness  of  God  made 
2.    he   him;     male   and   female   created   he   them;     and 

blessed  them,  and  called  their  name  Adam,3  in  the  day 

1  Gr.  Vg.  this  one  began.       *  Gr.  adds  God.      3  m.  Man. 

(i)     A  Genealogical  Fragment,  4  :  25,  26. 

It  contains  only  three  names  including  Adam's.  The  more 
common  opinion  is  that  it  is  the  beginning  of  a  list  by  the  second 
Jahvist,  but  there  are  those  who  would  insert  it,  in  a  form  having  no 
reference  to  Cain  or  Abel,  before  4  :  i,  thus  bringing  the  preceding 
genealogy  into  harmony  with  chapter  5. 

25.  God    hath    appointed.     Here    again     the     Hebrew    employs 
alliteration,    which    might    be    reproduced    by  substituting  for  ap- 
pointed the  equivalent  set.      Here,   perhaps,    3  :  20  can  most  ap- 
propriately be  inserted. 

26.  He  called.     In  vs.  i  and  25  it  was  the  mother  who  named  her 
child;   and  this  seems  to  have  been  the  more  ancient  practice.     Then 
began  men  to  call  upon  the  name  of  the  LORD.   This  statement  has  been 
variously  understood,  but  it  probably  means  that  Enosh  was  the  first 
to  use  the  divine  name  Yahweh.    This,  to  be  sure,  does  not  harmonize 
with  the  fact  that  the  name  is  put  into  the  mouth  of  Eve  in  v.i,  but  the 
discrepancy  can  be  explained  as  an  indication  of  difference  of  author- 
ship.    In  the  Greek  and  Latin  versions  the  difficulty  seems  to  have 
been  met  by  changing  the  Yahweh  of  v.  i  to  God. 

(2)    Ten  generations,  5  :  1—32 

This  genealogy  from  the  Priestly  narrative  attaches  itself  to  2  :  3 
and  spans  the  entire  period  from  Adam  to  Noah.  It  is  entirely  barren 
of  details,  except  in  v.  29,  where  a  fragment  from  another  source  has 
been  inserted. 

i  f.  The  connection  with  the  first  account  of  creation  is  made  by  a 
brief  resume  of  that  part  relating  to  the  creation  of  man.  The  name 
by  which  he  called  the  first  pair  should  be  rendered,  not  Adam,  but, 
as  in  the  margin,  Man.  See  i  :  26. 

61 


5  :  3  GENESIS 


3.  when  they  were  created.     And  °Adam  lived  an1  hun- 
dred and  thirty  years,  and  begat  a  son  °in  his  own  like- 

4.  ness,2  after  his  image ;   and  called  his  name  Seth :   and 
the  days  of  Adam  after  he  begat  Seth  were  eight 3  hunr 

5.  dred  years:    and  °he  begat  sons  and  daughters.     And 
all  the  days  that  Adam  lived  were  °nine  hundred  and 

6.  thirty  years :   and  °he  died.     And  Seth  lived  °an  l  hun- 

7.  dred  and  five  years,  and  begat  °Enosh:   and  Seth  lived 
after  he  begat  Enosh  eight 3  hundred  and  seven  years, 

8.  and  begat  sons  and  daughters :  and  all  the  days  of  Seth 
were  °nine  hundred  and  twelve  years:    and  he  died. 

9.  And  Enosh  lived  ninety  4  years,,  and  begat  °Kenan : 

1  Gr.  two.      *  Sam.   Gr.   Vg.  add,  and.       3  Gr.  seven.       *  Gr.   a  hundred  and 
ninety. 

3.  The  statement  that  Adam  lived  an  hundred  and  thirty  years  and 
begat  a  child  implies  that  the  child  then  begotten  was  his  first,  and 
this  inference  is  confirmed  by  the  addition  of  in  his  likeness,  etc.     A 
detail  of  this  kind  would  be  superfluous  in  the  case  of  any  later  child. 
The  author  of  this  genealogy,  therefore,  ignores  the  line  of  Cain.     Com- 
pare 4  :  25  f.,  where  both  are  recognized. 

4.  He  begat  sons  and  daughters;   but  none  of  them  finds  a  place  in 
this  record. 

5.  Nine  hundred  and  thirty  years.     These  figures  are  so  large  that 
various  attempts  have  been  made  to  reduce  them  to  credible  dimen- 
sions;   but  there  is  no  ground  for  supposing  that  Adam  represents  a 
period,  or  the  term  year  less  than  twelve  literal  months.     He  died; 
not,  according  to  this  writer,  as  the  result  of  a  curse  pronounced  upon 
the  race,  —  for  he  ignores  the  Fall,  also,  —  but  in  the  order  of  nature. 
He  teaches  that  from  the  beginning  men  were  appointed  to  die,  but  that 
those  who  pleased  God  were  allowed  to  live  longer  than  their  fellows. 

7.  The  law  just  stated  reveals  itself  in  this  genealogy,  in  which 
originally  the  deterioration  of  mankind  was  indicated  by  a  gradual 
shortening  of  the  lives  of  the  successive  generations.     Naturally  the 
first  period  was  correspondingly  shortened;  as  in  the  case  of  Seth,  who 
lived  only  an  hundred  and  five  years  before  begetting  his  first-born 
Enosh. 

8.  The  total  of  his  years,  although  his  second  period  was  a  little 
longer  than  Adam's,  reached  only  nine  hundred  and  twelve. 

9.  The  name  Kenan  recalls  Cain;   but  there  would  be  little  signifi- 

62 


GENESIS 

10.  and  Enosh  lived  after  he  begat  Kenan  eight *  hundred 

11.  and  fifteen  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters:   and 
all  the  days  of  Enosh  were  nine  hundred  and  five  years : 

12.  and  he  died.     And  Kenan  lived  seventy2  years,  and 

13.  begat   Mahalalel:     and   Kenan   lived   after   he   begat 
Mahalalel  eight l  hundred  and  forty  years,  and  begat 

14.  sons  and  daughters:    and  all  the  days  of  Kenan  were 

15.  nine  hundred  and  ten  years :  and  he  died.     And  Maha- 

16.  lalel  lived  sixty3  and  five  years,  and  begat  Jared:   and 
Mahalalel  lived  after  he  begat  Jared  eight *  hundred 

17.  and  thirty  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters:    and 
all  the  days  of  Mahalalel  were  eight  hundred  ninety 

1  Gr.  seven.       *  Gr.  a  hundred  and  seventy.       *  Gr.  a  hundred  and  sixty. 


cance  in  the  resemblance  if  this  were  the  only  case.  In  point  of  fact, 
for  each  of  the  remaining  names  of  this  list  there  is  a  corresponding 
name,  not  always  in  the  same  relative  position,  in  the  Cainite  geneal- 
ogy, as  appears  from  the  following  table: 

Cainites  Sethites 

Cain  Kenan 

Enoch ^________-Mahalalel 

Irad  ^^r><ClI^        Jared 

Mehujael — —  Enoch 

Methushael  Methuselah 

Lemech  Lemech 

The  natural  inference  from  this  fact  is  that  the  genealogy  of  this 
chapter  was  based  on  that  of  chapter  4,  and,  as  has  been  suggested,  was 
intended  to  displace  it. 

11.  In  4  :  26  Enosh  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  to  use  the  divine 
name  Yakweh.    There  is  no  reference  to  the  matter  here,  the  reason 
being  that  this  author  taught  that  the  name  was  first  revealed  to  Moses 
and  carefully  avoided  the  use  of  it  until  Ex.  6  :  2. 

12.  Mahalalel,  who  corresponds  to  the  Mehujael  of  the  Cainite 
genealogy,  here  takes  the  place  of  Enoch,  who  thus  becomes  "  the 
seventh  from  Adam."     See  Jude  14. 

14.  Kenan  lived  nine  hundred  and  ten  years,  being  the  only  one  of 
the  first  nine  in  the  list,  according  to  the  correct  text,  who  lived  longer 
than  his  father. 


GENESIS 


18.  and  five  years:   and  he  died.     And  Jared  lived  OH!I  an 

19.  hundred  1  |  sixty  and  two  years,  and  begat  Enoch :  and 
Jared  lived  after  he  begat  Enoch  °*2  eight  hundred  2f 

20.  years  and  begat  sons  and  daughters:   and  all  the  days 
of  Jared  were  °^  nine  hundred  sixty  and  two  3f  years : 

21.  and  he  died.     And  Enoch  lived  4  sixty  and  five 4  years, 

22.  and  begat  Methuselah:    and   Enoch   °*  walked  with 
God  t  after  he  begat  Methuselah  three 5  hundred  years, 

23.  and  begat  sons  and  daughters:    and  all  the  days  of 

24.  Enoch  were  three  hundred  sixty  and  five  years:    and 
Enoch  walked  with  God:   and  he  was  not;   for  °God 

25.  took    him.      And    Methuselah   lived    °*8  an   hundred 

26.  eighty  6f   and   seven  years,  and   begat  Lamech :   and 
Methuselah  lived  after  he  begat  Lamech  °*7  seven  hun- 
dred eighty  and  two  7f  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daugh- 

27.  ters:   and  all  the  days  of  Methuselah  were  °*8  nine  hun- 

28.  dred  sixty  and  nine  8f  years :  and  he  died.    And  Lamech 

1  Sam.  ora.  a  Sam.  seven  hundred  eighty  and  five.  3  Sam.  eight  hundred  forty 
and  seven.  •*  Gr.  a  hundred  sixty  and  five.  *  Gr.  two.  6  Sam.  sixty;  Gr.  a  hun- 
dred sixty.  '  Sam.  six  hundred  fifty  and  three;  Gr.  eight  hundred  and  two.  8  Sam. 
seven  hundred  and  twenty. 

18.  An  hundred  sixty  and  two  years.  Here  the  received  text  fol- 
lows the  Greek  Version,  which  regularly  adds  a  hundred  years  to  the 
original  length  of  the  first  period.  The  Samaritans  have  the  correct 
reading,  sixty  and  two. 

19  f.  For  eight  hundred  read,  with  the  Samaritans,  seven  hundred 
eighty  and  five.  The  total  of  Jared's,  more  correctly  Jered's,  years 
thus  becomes  eight  hundred  forty  and  seven  instead  of  nine  hundred 
sixty  and  two. 

22.   Walked  with  God  in  this  verse  is  probably  an  error  for  lived. 

23  f.  Enoch  was  the  first  of  the  antediluvians  to  finish  his  earthly 
life ;  but  it  was  because,  as  a  reward  for  his  exceptional  piety,  God 
took  him;  translated  him  to  the  divine  abode.  The  Babylonian  Noah 
was  similarly  honored. 

25-27.  For  an  hundred  eighty  and  seven  read,  with  the  Samaritans, 
sixty  and  seven,  and  for  seven  hundred  eighty  and  two,  six  hundred 
fifty  and  three.  The  total  for  Methuselah  thus  becomes,  not  nine 
hundred  sixty  and  nine,  but  seven  hundred  and  twenty.  In  this  case 

64 


GENESIS 


lived  0*x  an  hundred  eighty  and  two  *f  years,  and  begat  | 

29.  a  son :  and  he  called  his  name  Noah,  saying,  This  same 
shall  °2  comfort  us 2  °fors  our  work  and  for3  the  toil  of 
our  hands,  4  because  of  4  the  ground  which  °the  LORD 

30.  hath  cursed.  |  And  Lamech  lived  after  he  begat  Noah 
0*5  flve  hundred  ninety  and  five  5f  years,  and  begat  sons 

31.  and  daughters:    and   all   the  days   of  Lamech   were 
°*8  seven  hundred  seventy  and  seven  6f  years :  and  he 

32.  died.     And  Noah  was  °five  hundred  years  old:    and 
Noah  7  begat  °Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth. 

1  Sam.  fifty  and  three;  Gr.  a  hundred  eighty  and  eight.  *  Gr.  give  us  rest.  *  SV 
in.  *  m.  which  comethfrom;  SV  which  cometh  because  of.  *  Sam.  six  hundred; 
Gr.five  hundred  sixty  and  five.  6  Sam.  six  hundred  fifty  and  three;  Gr.  seven  hundred 
fifty  and  three.  '  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  he. 

the  Jewish  scribes  have  taken  twenty  years  from  the  second  period  and 
added  them  to  the  first  to  prevent  the  patriarch  from  outliving  the 
Flood,  as,  according  to  the  Greek  Version,  he  actually  did.  Ac- 
cording to  the  Samaritans  not  only  he,  but  Jered  and  Lemech  also, 
perished  in  the  Flood. 

28.  For  an  hundred  eighty  and  two  read,  with  the  Samaritans,  fifty 
and,  three. 

29.  The  monotony  of  the  genealogical  style  is  here  broken  by  the 
insertion  of  a  brief  extract  from  the  Judean  narrative.     See  the  name 

Yahweh  (Lord).  Comfort  us.  This  form  of  expression  was  chosen 
for  the  sake  of  an  alliteration  between  the  verb  (Heb.  nakam)  and 
the  name  of  Noah.  For  our  work ;  lit.  from  our  work,  i.e.,  in  spite  of 
it.  The  LORD  hath  cursed.  The  reference  is  to  the  curse  of  3  :  17.  How 
the  child  will  relieve  his  family  is  not  clear ;  perhaps  by  the  discovery 
of  wine,  which  the  Hebrews  regarded  as  a  blessing  when  used  in  mod- 
eration. See  9  :  20 ;  Je.  16  :  7 ;  Ps.  104  :  15. 

30  f.  For  five  hundred  ninety  and  five  read,  with  the  Samaritans, 
six  hundred,  making  a  total  of  six  hundred  fifty  and  three,  instead  of 
seven  hundred  seventy  and  seven.  Note  that  Lemech  was  the  seventh 
in  the  Cainite  list  and  that  he  avenged  himself  seventy  and  sevenfold. 
Cf.  4  :  23. 

32.  Five  hundred  years  old ;  before  he  had  any  children.  The  idea  of 
the  author  clearly  is  that  they  were  denied  him,  lest  his  family  should 
increase  to  such  an  extent  that  it  would  be  unnecessarily  difficult  to 
deliver  them.  See  also  n  :  10,  from  which  it  appears  that  the  sons 
of  Noah  had  no  children  until  after  the  Flood.  Shem,  Ham,  and 
Japheth ;  one  after  another. 

, 


GENESIS 


3.    The  Sons  of  God  and  their  Offspring,  6:1-4 

6.       And  it  came  to  pass,  °when  men  began  to  multiply 

on  the  face  of  the  ground,  and  daughters  •  were  born 

2.    unto  them,  that  °the  sons  1  of  God 2  saw  °the  daughters 

1  Gr.  angels.      '  Tar.  princes. 

In  the  above  comments  the  figures  of  the  Samaritan  Version  have 
been  repeatedly  quoted,  and  sometimes  those  of  the  Greek  Version. 
For  a  tabular  view  of  the  figures  of  these  versions  as  compared  with 
those  of  the  Hebrew  original,  see  note  A.  of  the  Appendix. 

On  the  historicity  of  the  genealogy  there  can  be  but  one  opinion. 
The  figures  for  the  length  of  the  lives  of  the  several  patriarchs  con- 
tradict not  only  modern  experience,  but  the  testimony  of  ancient 
history,  which  teaches  that  in  that  remote  period  the  average  length 
of  human  lives  was  no  greater  than,  if  it  was  as  great  as,  it  is  at  pres- 
ent. See  Petrie,  History  of  Egypt,  i.  145;  Pinches,  Old  Testament, 
153.  On  the  other  hand,  the  total  for  the  lives  of  these  patriarchs, 
even  according  to  the  Greek  figures,  is  evidently  much  too  small  for 
the  antediluvian  period,  since,  as  is  well  known,  both  Egypt  and 
Babylonia  were  populous  and  civilized  countries  before  the  date  here 
given  for  the  creation  of  Adam.  See  Breasted,  History  of  Egypt, 
14;  Pinches,  Old  Testament,  170  f.  The  question  of  historicity, 
then,  must  be  decided  in  the  negative.  This  decision,  however,  is  not 
so  damaging  as  it  has  seemed,  since  the  author  evidently  did  not  intend 
to  confine  himself  to  facts.  Indeed,  by  ignoring  the  traditions  of  his 
people  he  as  much  as  said  that  there  were  no  facts  concerning  the  first 
period  of  human  history  to  record.  He  did,  however,  apparently 
accept  the  Flood  as  an  actual  occurrence.  Moreover,  he  reasoned 
that  so  terrible  a  calamity  must  have  been  provoked  by  general  cor- 
ruption, and  he  constructed  his  genealogy  to  convey  this  idea. 

The  sons  of  God,  enamoured  of  the  daughters  of  men,  make  mar- 
riages with  them  from  which  spring  the  giants.  The  story  is  from 
the  Judean  narrative,  with  later  additions. 

1.  When  men  began  to  multiply;  had  already  become  numerous. 
According  to  the  compiler  it  was  toward  the  close  of  the  antediluvian 
period,  and  the  incident  here  narrated  marked  the  climax  in  the  cor- 
ruption of  the  race. 

2.  The  sons  of  God.  There  ought  to  be  no  doubt  about  the  meaning 
of  these  terms.    The  sons  of  God  here,  as  elsewhere  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, —  e.g.,  in  Jb.  i  :  6  and  Ps.  29  :  i,  —  are  angelic  attendants  of 

66 


GENESIS 

of  men  that  they  were  fair;   and  they  took  them  wives 

3.  °of  all  that  they  chose.  |  And  the  LORD  said,  °My  spirit 
°shall  not  *  strive  with  1  man 2  forever,  °3  for  that  he  also 
is  flesh 3 :    yet 4  shall  his  days  be   °an  hundred  and 

4.  twenty  years.  |   °The  Nephilim5  were  in  the  earth  in 
those  days,  °*  and  also  after  that,f  when  the  sons  of  God 
came  in  unto  the  daughters  of  men,  and  they  bare  chil- 
dren to  them :  the  same  were  °the  mighty  men  which  6 
were  of  old,  °the  men  of  renown. 

1  m.  rule  in;   Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  abide  in.      *  Gr.  these  men.      3  m.  in  their  going 
astray  they  are  flesh.      •*  m.  therefore.      s  m.  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  giants.      6  SV  that. 

the  Almighty.     See,  also,  the  Greek  reading  cited  above,  and  2  Pet. 

2  :  4  ff.  and  Jude  6.    True,  the  idea  of  such  alliances  seems  to  be  for- 
bidden byMt.  22  :  30,  but  a  belief  in  them  was  universal  in  antiquity, 
even  among  the  Semites.     See  Jastrow,  Religion  of  Babylonia  and 
Assyria,  481  ff.     The  daughters  of  men ;    not  the  daughters  of  the 
Cainites,  but  women  in  general.      Of  all  that  they  chose;   whomso- 
ever they  would,  and  perhaps  in  such  numbers  as  they  desired. 

3.  My  spirit ;  the  divine  breath  on  which  all  life  depends.   See  2:7; 
Jb.  33  :  4.     Shall  not  strive  with,  better,  abide  in,  man.     He  refuses  to 
continue  in  existence  indefinitely  a  lawless  race.      The  clause  for 
that  he  also  is  flesh  is  difficult,  but  the  idea  seems  to  be  that  the  union 
of  the  spirit  of  Yahweh  with  human  flesh  was  after  all  an  ill-assorted 
one.     See  v.  6.     An  hundred  and  twenty  years.    This  is  sometimes 
interpreted  as  the  duration  henceforth  of  human  life;    but,  since  the 
whole  verse  is  probably  an  editorial  addition,  it  seems  best  to  suppose 
that  the  author  of  it  here  refers  to  the  length  of  time  before  the  oc- 
currence of  the  Flood.    This  is  the  interpretation  adopted  by  the  early 
exegetes,  Jewish  and  Christian,  who  taught  that  the  respite  was  granted 
for  the  purpose  of  giving  Noah  time  to  win  his  fellows  back  to  God. 
The  Targum  paraphrases  the  text  as  follows,    A  respite  shall  be  given 
them  a  hundred  and  twenty  years,  if  they  will  return.     See,  also,  i  Pet. 

3  :  20 ;    2  Pet.  2  :  5. 

4.  The  Nephilim,  giants,  were  in  the  earth ;  appeared  among  men. 
This  being  the  sense,  there  is  no  necessity  for  adding,  as  some  reader 
has,  and  also  after  that.     The  mighty  men,  the  men  of  renown ;  the 
demigods  of  the   ancient  mythologies.    Thus  the  author,  although 
he  could  not  deny  the  existence  of  the  gods  and  demigods  of  other 
peoples,  stamped  them  with  a  character  that  would  repel  every  worthy 
worshipper  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel. 

67 


III.   A  GENERAL  RETRIBUTION,  6  :  5-8' :  22 
i.    The  Divine  Purpose,  6  :  5-8 

5.  And  the  LORD  saw  that  °the  wickedness  of  man  was 
great  in  the  earth,  and  that  °every  imagination  of  the 

6.  thoughts  of  his  heart  was  only  evil  continually.     And 
°it  repented  the  LORD  that  he  had  made  man  on  the 

7.  earth,  and  it  grieved  him  *  at  his  heart.1     And  the  LORD 
said,  I  will  destroy  man  *  whom  I  have  created  f  from 
the  face  of  the  ground ;    *  both  man,  and  °beast,  and 
creeping  thing,  and  fowl  of  the  air;  f   for  it  repenteth 

1  Gr.  om. 


The  growing  corruption  depicted  or  indicated  in  4  :  1-6  :  4  demanded 
a  display  of  divine  justice.  The  Priestly  genealogy  in  its  original 
(Samaritan)  form  contained  intimations  of  such  an  outcome.  There 
follows  now  an  account,  compiled  from  a  later  Judean  source  and  the 
Priestly  document,  of  the  great  catastrophe  by  which  a  degenerate  race 
was  destroyed  and  the  character  of  the  Deity  vindicated. 

Yahweh,  finding  man  thoroughly  evil,  determines  to  destroy  him 
from  the  earth.  The  paragraph  is  Jahvistic,  but  it  has  been  revised 
by  a  priestly  hand. 

5.  The  wickedness  of  man  was  great;    his  conduct  was  grossly 
evil.      Every  imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  his  heart ;  his  thoughts 
were  always  and  wholly  employed  with  evil  devices.    The  heart  is 
here  the  seat  of  the  intellect ;  in  the  next  verse  of  the  emotions. 

6.  It  repented  the  LORD.    The  language  is  strongly  anthropopathic, 
but  on  that  account  the  more  expressive.     It  means  that  man  had  not 
fulfilled  the  evident  purpose  of  his  creation. 

7.  The  word  which  strictly  means  cattle  is  here  rendered  beast, 
probably  because  the  translators  supposed  it  included  both  classes. 
These  specifications  are  clearly  in  the  manner  of  the  first  account  of 
creation.     See  i  :  24  ff.     They  were  added  to  bring  this  verse  into 
closer  harmony  with  v.  12,  q.v. 

68 


GENESIS  6  :  13 


8.  me  that  I  have  made  them.     But  °Noah  found  grace 
in  the  eyes  of  the  LORD. 

2.   God's  Care  for  Noah,  6  :  9-7  :  5 

9.  These  are  the  generations  of  Noah.     Noah  was  a 
righteous   man,   and 1   °perfect 2   in  his  generations 3 : 

10.  Noah    °walked   with    God.     And    Noah    begat   three 

11.  sons,  Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth.     And  the  earth  was 
°corrupt  before  God,  and  the  earth  was  filled  with 

12.  °violence.     And  God  saw  the  earth,  and,  behold,  it 
was  corrupt ;  for  °all  flesh  had  corrupted  his 4  way  upon 

13.  the  earth.      And  God  said  unto  Noah,  The  end  of  5  all 
flesh  5  °is  come  before  me ;   for  the  earth  is  filled  with 

1  So  Sam.       *  m.  blameless.       3.  Gr.  sing.      *  SV  their.      *  Gr.  every  man. 

8.  Why  Noah  found  grace  with  Yahweh  will  appear  from  7:1. 

The  favor  shown  Noah  took  the  form  of  provisions  for  his  rescue 
with  his  family  and  a  certain  number  of  animals. 

(i)    The  ark  and  Us  freight,   6  :  9-22 

The  prevalent  corruption  is  again  described  and  the  divine  decree 
repeated ;  then  Noah  is  instructed  to  build  a  vessel  of  a  certain  pat- 
tern, in  which  to  preserve  his  family  and  two  of  every  species  of  animal, 
and  furnish  it  with  food  for  the  whole  company. 

9.  Perfect  in  his   generations,   better,   with   the  Greek  Version, 
generation;  conspicuous  among  his  fellows  for  his  uprightness.     He 
walked  with  God ;   like  Enoch.     See  5  :  24. 

11.  Here  the  author  says  plainly  what  he  intended  to  convey  in 
his  genealogy,  that  the  earth  was  corrupt,  and  specifies,  as  the  most 
heinous  of  the  prevalent  sins,  violence.     It  was  the  object  of  repeated 
condemnation  by  the  Hebrew  prophets.      See  Am.  3  :  10;    Jer.  6  :  7; 
Ezek.  7  :  23;   etc. 

12.  All  flesh  here  includes  the  lower  animals,  which,  it  may  be 
inferred  from  i  :  30,  did  not  at  first  harm  man  or  prey  upon  one 
another.     See  v.  17. 

13.  Is  come  before  me ;  has  become  a  deliberate  purpose.      With 

69 


6  :  14  GENESIS 


violence  through  them;    and,  behold,   I  will  destroy 

14.  them  °with  the  earth.     Make  thee  °an  ark  of  °gopher 
wood;    °rooms  shalt  thou  make  in  the  ark,  and  shalt 

15.  pitch  it  within  and  without  with  °pitch.     And  this  is 
how  thou  shalt  make  it:    the  length  of  the  ark  °three 
hundred  cubits,  the  breadth  of  it  °fifty  cubits,  and  the 

16.  height  of  it  °thirty  cubits.     °A  light J  shalt  thou  make 
to  the  ark,  and  °to  a  cubit  shalt  thou  finish  it  upward 2 ; 
and  the  door  of  the  ark  shalt  thou  set  in  the  side  thereof; 
with  lower,  second,  and  third  stories  shalt  thou  make  it. 

17.  And  I,  behold,  I  do  bring  the  flood  of  waters  upon  the 
earth,  to  destroy  all  flesh,  °wherein  is  the  breath  of  life, 
from  under  heaven;    every  thing  that  is  in  the  earth 

1  m.  roof.       *  m.  from  above. 

the  earth.  Since  God  did  not  intend  to  destroy  the  earth,  it  would  be 
better  to  render  this  phrase  freely  by  and  devastate  the  earth  or  cor- 
rect it  to  from  the  earth.  See  7  :  23. 

14.  An  ark ;    i.e.,  a  box.    The  structure  in  which  the  Babylonian 
Noah  escaped  was  a  ship.     Perhaps  the  author  of  this  passage  wished 
to  convey  the  idea  that  at  this  early  date  ships  had  not  yet  been  in- 
vented.   The  gopher  wood  of  which  the  ark  was  to  be  made  cannot  be 
identified  with  any  certainty,  but  there  is  a  probability  that  it  was 
cypress,  which,  on  account  of  its  durability,  was  much  used  in  Egypt 
for  coffins  and  in  Phoenicia  for  ships.     The  Targum  has  cedar.     The 
rooms,  or  cells,  were  necessary  for  the  convenience  of  Noah  and  his 
family,  the  separation  of  the  various  species  of  animals,  and  the  storage 
of  food.     In  the  Babylonian  ship  there  were  sixty-three  of  them.    The 
pitch  was  bitumen,  large  quantities  of  which  are  found  in  the  valleys 
of  the  Jordan  and  the  Euphrates. 

15.  Three  hundred  cubits;    about  487.2  feet.     Fifty  cubits;  81.2 
feet.     Thirty  cubits ;  48.72  feet.    Many  modern  ships  are  much  longer 
than  the  ark,  and  some  exceed  it  in  capacity. 

16.  A  light  shalt  thou  make  to  the  ark.     Better,  light  shalt  thou 
provide  for  the  ark.     To  a  cubit  shalt  thou  finish  it  upward.     Better, 
'within  a  cubit  shalt  thou  finish  it  from  above.     The  ark  was  lighted 
and  ventilated  by  an  opening  running  round  it  at  the  top. 

17.  The  descriptive  clause  wherein  is  the  breath  of  life  shows  that 
all  flesh  in  v.  12  was  correctly  interpreted  as  universal.     See  v.  19. 

70 


GENESIS 


18.  shall  die.     But  I  will  establish  °my  covenant  with  thee; 
and  thou  shalt  come  into  the  ark,  thou,  and  thy  sons, 

19.  and  thy  wife,  and  thy  sons'  wives  with  thee.     And  of 
1  every  living  thing  1  of  °all  flesh,  °two  of  every  sort  shall 
thou  bring  into  the  ark,  to  keep  them  alive  with  thee; 

20.  they  shall  be  male  and  female.     Of 2  the  fowl  after  their 
kind,  and  of  2  the  cattle  after  their  kind,    of 3  every 
creeping  thing  of  the  ground  after  its  kind,  two  of  every 

21.  sort  shall  come  unto  4  thee  to  keep  them  alive.5     And 
take  thou  unto  thee  of  °all  food  that  is  eaten,  and  gather 
it  to  thee;   and  it  shall  be  for  food  for  thee  and  for 

22.  them.     Thus  did  Noah ;    according  to  all  that    God 
commanded  him,  so  did  he. 

7.       And  6  the  LORD  6  said  unto  Noah,  Come  thou  and  all   JJ 
thy  house  in  to  the  ark ;  for  thee  have  I  seen  righteous 

1  Gr.  all  the  cattle,  and  of  all  the  creeping  things,  and  of  all  the  beasts.  *  Gr.  Of  all. 
3  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  and  of.  «  Syr.  with,  s  Gr.  adds,  with  thee,  male  and  fe- 
male. 6  Sam.  Syr.  God;  Gr.  the  Lord  God. 

18.  My  covenant,  i.e.,  a  covenant. 

19.  All  flesh  here  includes  only  the  lower  animals,  because  Noah 
and  his  family  have  already  been  mentioned.     Two ;  and,  according 
to  the  author  of  this  paragraph,  only  two.     He  does  not  make  the 
distinction  between  clean  and  unclean  animals,  the  reason  being 
that,  according  to  him,  animals  were  not  eaten  until  after  the  Flood. 
See  9:3;    compare  7  :  2. 

20.  The  reading  of  the  Greek  Version,  with  all  in  each  of  the  first 
two  phrases  and  an  and  at  the  beginning  of  the  third,  is  probably  the 
original  one.     Perhaps,  also  the  beast  of  the  earth  should  be  supplied. 

21.  All  food  that  is  eaten;  according  to  i  :  29  f.,  comprises  only 
vegetable  sustenance. 

(2)    A  second  account,  7  :  1-5 

This  is  from  the  second  Jahvist,  and  is  given  only  in  part,  the  rest 
having  been  omitted  to  avoid  unnecessary  repetition.     It  repeats  the 
command  with  reference  to  the   animals,  but   makes  a   distinction  • 
among  them,  and  it  furnishes  an  interesting  statement  concerning 
the  duration  of  the  Flood. 

7* 


GENESIS 

2.  before  me  in  this  generation.     Of  °every  clean  beast 
thou  shalt  take  to  thee  °seven  and  seven,  the  male  and 
his  female;   and  of  the  beasts  that  are  not  clean  two,1 
the  male  and  his  female ;  of  the  fowl 2  also  3  of  the  air  3 

3.  seven  and  seven,  *male  and  female  f4:    to 'keep  seed 
alive  upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth.     For  yet  seven  days 

4.  and  °I  will  cause  it  to  rain  upon  the  earth  °forty  days 
and  forty  nights;  and  °every  living  thing  that  I  have 
made  will  I  destroy  from  off  the  face  of  the  ground. 

5.  And  Noah  did  according  unto  all  that  the  LORD  com- 
manded him. 


1  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  two  and  two.  2  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  clean  birds.  3  Syr.  om.  *  Gr. 
adds,  and  of  all  the  birds  that  are  not  clean  two  and  two,  male  and  female. 

2.  Every  clean  beast.     Better,  all  the  clean  cattle,  those  commonly 
eaten.     Here,  as  in  4  :  4,  the  use  of  animal  food  is  taken  for  granted. 
Seven  and  seven ;    by  sevens,  three  pairs  and  an  extra  male  for  the 
sacrifice  offered  by  Noah  after  the  Flood.     See  8  :  20.     Of  the  un- 
clean animals  he  is  instructed  to  take  two,  or  better,  with  all  the 
ancient  authorities,  by  twos,  only,  because  it  was  not  important  that 
they  should  increase  rapidly. 

3.  The  same  distinction,  according  to  8  :  20,  was  made  among  the 
birds,  but  the  reference  to  it  here  is  so  indefinite  that  its  genuineness 
is  suspected.     It  should  read,  also  of  the  clean  birds  seven  and  seven, 
the  male  and  his  female,  and  of  the  birds  that  are  not  clean  two  and  two, 
the  male  and  his  female.     See  the  various  readings. 

4.  I  will  cause  it  to  rain ;    a  natural  and  familiar  phenomenon. 
Forty  days  and  forty  nights.   The  thought  clearly  is  that  at  the  end  of 
this  period  every  living  thing,  or,  more  exactly,  all  that  subsists,  will 
be  destroyed  and  the  water  will  subside. 

5.  This  verse  brings  the  Judean  account  to  the  point  marked  in  the 
other  by  6  :  22. 

The  account  of  the  Flood  consists  of  extracts  from  the  sources  used 
in  the  preceding  section  pieced  together  in  such  a  way  as  to  make 
a  fairly  continuous,  but  not  always  consistent,  narrative.  First  it 
describes 

(i)    The  rising  water,  7  :  6-24 

This  paragraph  tells  how,  after  Noah  and  his  company  entered  the 
ark,  the  water  poured  upon  the  earth  from  above  and  below,  and  in- 

72 


GENESIS 


3.    The  Flood,  7  :  6-8  :  14 

6.  And  Noah  was  °six  hundred  years  old  when  the  flood  P 

7.  of  waters  was  upon  the  earth.     And  °Noah  went  in,  | 
and  his  sons,  and  his  wife,  and  his  sons'  wives  with   R 
him,  |  °into  the  ark,  because  of  the  waters  °of  the  flood.   J2 

8.  |  Of1  clean  beasts,  and  of  beasts  that  are  not  clean,   R 
and  of  fowls,  and  of2  every  thing  that  creepeth  upon 

9.  the  ground,  there  went  in  °two  and  two  unto  3  Noah 
into  the  ark,  male  and  female,  |    as  God 4  commanded   J2 

10.  Noah.5    And  it  came  to  pass  after  °the  seven  days, 

11.  that  °the  waters  of  the  flood  were  upon  the  earth.  |  In  P 
the  six  hundredth  year  of  Noah's  life,  in  °the  second 

1  Gr.  Vg.  And  of,  *  So  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.;  Heb.  ora.  3  Syr.  Tar.  with.  •»  Sam. 
Vg.  Yahweh.  *  Gr.  him. 

creased  in  depth  until  all  that  breathed  outside  the  ark  were  destroyed 
and  the  earth  itself  was  covered  as  completely  as  before  it  first  made  its 
appearance. 

6.  Six  hundred  years  old.    The  date,  therefore,  according  to  the 
chronology  of  chapter  5,  was  1656  A.M.     For  the  month  and  the  day, 
see  v.  10. 

7.  The  two  parts  of  the  date  are  now  separated  by  an  extract  from 
the  other  account,  which,  however,  has  been  greatly  expanded.     In 
its  original  form  this  verse  simply  stated,  in  continuation  of  v.  5,  that 
Noah  went  into  the  ark,  because,  in  anticipation,  of  the  flood.    The  rest 
was  added  to  make  it  more  specific. 

8  f .  In  these  verses  the  editor  seeks  to  combine  the  divergent  state- 
ments of  his  sources.  He  accepts  the  distinction  between  the  clean  and 
the  unclean  animals,  also  a  difference  in  the  number  of  the  two  classes, 
but  he  seems  to  have  interpreted  seven  and  seven  in  7  :  2  as  meaning 
seven  pairs;  otherwise  he  could  hardly  have  described  the  animals 
generally  as  going  into  the  ark  two  and  two,  i.e.,  by  pairs.  If,  as  there 
is  some  reason  to  believe,  the  last  clause  originally  read,  as  Yahweh 
commanded  him,  it  belongs  at  the  end  of  v.  7. 

10.  The  Judean  account  now  proceeds,  in  continuation  of  v.  7, 
with  the  statement  that,  after  the  seven  days  allowed  Noah  for  em- 
barking, the  waters  of  the  flood  were,  began  to  descend  as  rain,  upon 
the  earth.     See  v.  4. 

11.  This  verse  supplements  and  defines  v.  6.     The  second  month, 

73 


GENESIS 


month,  on  °the  seventeenth  1  day  of  the  month,  on  the 

same  day  were  all  °the  fountains  of  the  great2  deep 

broken  up,  and  °the  windows  of  heaven  were  opened.  | 

J2   12.   And  the  rain  was  upon  the  earth  °forty  days  and  forty 

P    13.   nights.  |  In   °the  selfsame  day  entered  Noah,   and 3 

Shem,  and  3  Ham,  and  Japheth,  the  sons  of  Noah,  and 

Noah's  wife,  and  the  three  wives  of  his  sons  with  them,4 

14.  into  the  ark;  they,  and  every  beast 5  after  its  kind,  and 
all  the  cattle  after  their  kind,  and  every  creeping  thing 
that  creepeth  upon  the  earth  after  its  kind,  and  every 

15.  fowl  after  its  kind,  °8  every  bird  of  every  sort.8    And  7 
they  went  in  unto  8  Noah  into  the  ark,  °two  and  two  of 

1 6.  all  flesh  wherein  is  the  breath  of  life.     And  they  that 
went  in,  went  in  male  and  female  of  all  flesh,  as  God 

J2          commanded   him  9 :  |  and   the   LORD   shut   him   in.  | 
R,  J2   17.   And  the  flood  was  forty  days  10  upon  the  earth;  |  and 

1  Gr.  seven  and  twentieth.  a  Gr.  om.  3  Sam.  om.  *  Gr.  Syr.  him.  s  Gr. 
mss.  add,  of  the  earth.  6  Gr.  om.  '  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  om.  8  Syr.  Tar.  with.  »  Gr. 
Noah.  I0  Gr.  adds,  and  forty  nights. 

beginning  with  Tishri,  would  be  Marchesvan,  which  corresponds  to 
parts  of  October  and  November,  and  the  seventeenth  day  would  fall  near 
the  first  of  November.  The  fountains  of  the  great  deep  ;  openings  in 
the  earth  for  the  water  under  it.  The  windows  of  heaven  ;  outlets  for 
the  celestial  reservoirs.  See  Am.  7  :  4;  Ps.  104  13,  12. 

12.  This  verse  is  the  continuation  of  v.  10.     It  breaks  the  evident 
connection  between  vs.  n  and  13.     It  fixes  the  duration  of  the  down- 
pour at  forty  days  and  forty  nights,  as  foretold  in  v.  4.    Compare  8  : 
i  f.,  where  the  Priestly  author  puts  it  at  a  hundred  and  fifty  days.  The 
compiler  seems  to  have  intended  that  the  figures  here  given  should 
be  understood  as  marking  one  stage  in  the  progress  of  the  Flood. 
See  v.  17.    This,  however,  was  not  the  original  sense. 

13.  The  selfsame  day  is  the  seventeenth  of  the  second  month,  as  in 
v.  -ii. 

14.  Every  bird  of  every  sort,  lit.  every  wing,  might  be  rendered 
every  bird  of  every  feather . 

15.  Two  and  two;    here,  as  in  6  :  19  f.,  two  of  a  kind  without  ref- 
erence to  the  distinction  between  clean  and  unclean. 

17.    A  better  rendering  for  the  first  words  would  be,  When  the  flood 

74 


GENESIS 


the  waters  increased,  and  bare  up  the  ark,  and  it  was 

18.  lift  *  up  above  the  earth.      And  the  waters  °prevailed,   P 
and  increased  greatly  upon  the  earth;    and  °the  ark 

19.  went  upon  the  face  of   the  waters.      And  the  waters 
prevailed  exceedingly  upon  the  earth ;  and  °all  the  high 
mountains  that  were  °under 2  the  whole 2  heaven  were 

20.  covered.     °Fifteen  cubits  upward  did  the  waters  pre- 
21,   vail;  and  the  mountains 3  were  covered.     And  all  flesh 

died  that  moved  upon  the  earth,  both  fowl,  and  cattle, 
and  beast,  and  °every  creeping  4  thing  that  creepeth  5 

22.  upon  the  earth,  and  every  man :  |  °all  in  whose  nostrils   Ja 
was  the  breath  of  6  *  the  spirit  of  f  6  life,  of  7  °all  that 

23.  was  in  the  dry  land  died.     And  8  every  living  thing  was 

1  SV  lifted.  *  Gr.  Syr.  om.          3  Syr.  high  mountains.  *  m.  swarming, 

•s  m.  swarmeth.      6  Gr.  om.       i  Gr.  and.       8  m.  he  destroyed  every  living  thing. 


had  been  forty  days  upon  the  earth;  the  meaning  being  that  the  water 
did  not  until  the  end  of  that  time  become  deep  enough  to  float  the 
vessel,  which,  according  to  8  :  3  f.,  drew  fifteen  cubits,  or  about 
24.36  feet. 

18.  The  next  stage  was  reached  when  the  water  prevailed,   lit. 
became  mighty,  to  such  an  extent  that  the  ark  went,  moved  freely, 
upon  the  face  of  the  waters. 

19.  All  the  high  mountains ;   the  very  highest.     Under  the  whole 
heaven;    anywhere  on  the  earth.    The  Flood,  then,  was  universal. 
To  the  mind  of  the  author  it  was  necessarily  so,  since  otherwise  all 
mankind  would  not  have  been  destroyed. 

20.  Fifteen  cubits  upward;   above  the  tops  of  the  highest  moun- 
tains.   Thus  the  ark,  wherever  it  drifted,  was  free  from  any  possible 
obstacle. 

21.  Every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth.     Better,  the  whole  swarm 
that  swarmeth. 

22.  The  preceding  verse  is  from  the  Priestly  narrative.    The  other, 
alluding  to  the  second  account  of  creation,  said  that  all  in  whose  nos- 
trils was  the  breath  of  life  died.    This  statment  is  qualified.     It  was 
only  all  that  was  in  the  dry  land.    The  fishes,  he  means  to  say,  sur- 
vived. 

23.  The  precise  rendering  of  the  first  clause  is  in  dispute.     It  is 
possible  that  the  subject  Yahweh  (the  Lord]  should  be  supplied.    Then 

75 


7  :  24  GENESIS 


destroyed  8  which  l  was  upon  the  face  of  the  ground,  | 
R  both  man,  and  cattle,  and  creeping  thing,  and  fowl  of 

the  heaven ;  and  they  were  destroyed  from  the  earth :  | 
J3  And  Noah  only  was  left  and  they  that  were  with  him 
P  24.  in  the  ark.  |  And  the  waters  °prevailed  upon  the  .earth 

°an  hundred  and  fifty  days. 
P      8.       And   God   remembered   Noah,   and   °2  every   living 

thing,2  and  all  the  cattle  3  that  were  with  him  in  the  ark : 

and  God  made  °a  wind  to  pass  over  the  earth,  and  the 

2.   waters  assuaged;  the  fountains  also  of  the  deep  and  the 

J2          windows  of  heaven  were  °stopped,      and  °the  rain  from 


'  SV  that.        '  SV  all  the  beasts.        3  Gr.  Syr.  add,  and  all  the  birds;  Gr.  also,  and 
all  the  creeping  things. 


it  could  be  translated,  Thus  the  Lord  wiped  out  every  thing  that  sub- 
sisted, etc.     The  particulars  are  from  the  hand  of  the  compiler. 

24.  An  hundred  and  fifty  days.  Naturally,  the  water  would  not 
have  prevailed,  grown  in  volume,  for  this  length  of  time  unless,  con- 
trary to  the  teaching  of  the  Judean  account,  the  sources  had  remained 
open.  See  8  :  2. 

(2)    The  receding  deluge,  8  :  1-14 

This  paragraph  describes  the  stages  by  which,  when  the  outpour 
had  ceased,  the  water  retired  from  the  surface  of  the  earth,  and  the 
means  by  which  Noah  convinced  himself  that  the  ground  was  finally 
dry. 

1.  Every  living  thing.    Better,  with  SV,  all  the  beasts,  i.e.,  the  wild 
beasts.    The  received  text  mentions  only  two  classes,  but  the  Syriac 
Version  adds  the  birds,  and  the  Greek  both  them  and  the  creeping 
things.     A  wind.    On  the  wind  as  a  divine  agency,  see  Ex.  14  :  21; 
Num.  ii  :  31 ;  Is.  ii  :  15.     It  carries  off  the  water,  apparently  in  the 
form  of  vapor. 

2.  Now,  at  length,  after  a  hundred  and  fifty  days,  according  to 
the  Priestly  author,  the  outpour  is  stopped.    This  statement  is  followed 
by  a  parallel  one  from  the  Judean  account  concerning  the  rain  from 
heaven.    The  rain  ended,  however,  as  has  been  shown,  after  only 
.forty  days. 

76 


GENESIS 


3.  heaven  was  restrained;   and  the  waters  returned  from 
off  the  earth  continually:  |  °and  after  the  end  of  an 

4.  hundred  and  fifty  days  the  waters  decreased.     And  the 
ark  rested  °in  the  seventh  month,  on  the  seventeenth  1 
day  of  the  month,  upon  °the  mountains  of  Ararat.2 

5.  And  the  waters  decreased  continually  until  the  tenth 
month:  °in  the  tenth  month,  on  the  first  day  of  the 

6.  month,  were  °the  tops  of  the  mountains  seen.  |  And  it 
came  to  pass  at  the  end  of  °forty  days,  that  Noah  opened 

1  Gr.  twenty  and  seventh.      *  Syr.  Tar.  Kardn. 


3.  And  after.     Better,  Thus  after ;  for  the  period  here  described  is 
the  same  as  that  of  7  :  24. 

4.  In  the  seventh  month,  on  the  seventeenth  day;  i.e.,  just  five  months 
of  thirty  days  each  from  the  beginning  of  the  Flood.     In  other  words, 
as  soon  as  the  water  began  to  recede  the  ark  grounded  on  the  moun- 
tains, or  one  of  them,  of  Ararat.  Thus  it  appears  that,  according  to  the 
writer,  the  ark  drew  about  fifteen  cubits  of  water,  that  the  mountains 
named  were  the  highest  in  existence,  and  that  God  directed  the  one  to 
the  other  and  thus  brought  Noah's  voyage  to  an  end  as  soon  as  possible. 
The  country  in  which  he  landed  is  the  Arartu  of  the  Assyrians,  north 
and  west  of  Lake  Van.     In  that  region  is  a  peak,  called  by  the  Arme- 
nians Massis,  on  which,  they  say,  the  ark  rested.     It  has  an  altitude  of 
16,920  feet;  consequently  its  summit  is  always  covered  with  ice  and 
snow.     See  Allen  and  Sachtleben,  Across  Asia  on  a  Bicycle,  43  ff. 
The  Babylonia  Noah  landed  on  Mt.  Nisir,  east  of  the  middle  Tigris. 
Kardu,  where  the  Jews  and  oriental  Christians  locate  the  landing,- was 
south  of  Lake  Van  (Biaina). 

5.  In  the  tenth  month,  on  the  first  day ;    after  seventy-three  days, 
more  or  less.     The  tops  of  the  mountains ;    the  lesser  peaks    in  the 
vicinity. 

6.  Here  the  compiler  has  inserted  another  extract  from  the  Judean 
account.     In  so  doing  he  has  greatly  confused  his  chronology.     In 
fact,  it  is  impossible  to  explain  the  forty  days  of  this  verse  in  any  way 
that  will  make  it  consistent  with  the  context.    The  natural  interpre- 
tation would  be  that  they  followed  the  date  last  given;    but  this  is 
forbidden  by  v.  8,  where  the  first  dove  sent  forth  is  said  to  have  found 
no  place  to  alight,  as  it  ought  to  have  done  if  the  surrounding  moun- 
tains had  so  long  been  visible.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  verse  be  con- 
nected with  the  other  passages  referred  to,  there  will  be  no  difficulty. 

77 


GENESIS 


R  7.  the  window  of  the  ark  °which  he  had  made:  |  and  he 
sent  forth  a  raven,1  and  it  went  forth  2  to  and  fro,2  until 

J2  8.  the  waters  were  dried  up  from  off  the  earth.  |  .  And 
he  sent  forth  a  dove  from3  him  °to  see  if  the  waters 
9.  were  abated  from  off  the  face  of  the  ground;  but 
°the  dove  found  no  rest  for  the  sole  of  her  foot,  and  she 
returned  unto  him  to  the  ark,  for  the  waters  were  on 
the  face  of  the  whole  earth :  and  he  put  forth  his  hand, 
and  took  her,  and  brought  her  in  unto  him  into  the 

10.  ark.     And  he  stayed  yet  °other 4  *  seven  days :    and 

11.  again  he  sent  forth  °the  dove  out  of  the  ark;    and  the 
dove  came  in  to  him  at  eventide;  and,  lo,  in  her  mouth 
05  an  olive  leaf  pluckt  off5:   so  °Noah  knew  that  the 

12.  waters  were  abated  from  off  the  earth.     And  he  stayed 

1  Gr.  adds,  to  see  if  the  water  was  abated.       3  Gr.  Syr.  and  did  not  return.      3  Gr. 
after.       *  Many  Gr.  mss.  om.       *  m.  afresh  olive  leaf. 

The  forty  days  will  then  be  the  same  as  in  7  :  12,  or  another  similar 
period  during  which  the  water  had  been  subsiding;  preferably  the 
former.  The  relative  clause,  which  he  had  made,  refers,  not  to  the 
ark,  but  to  the  window  in  it.  It  was  probably  very  different  from  the 
contrivance  described  by  the  Priestly  writer  in  6  :  16. 

7.  The  description  of  the  means  that  Noah  took  to  learn  when  to 
leave  the  ark  makes  a  delightful  picture,  but  it  is  somewhat  marred 
by  this  verse.     In  point  of  fact,  the  raven  appears  to  have  been  sent 
forth  for  no  purpose,  and  to  have  accomplished  none.     It  is  probable, 
therefore,  that  it  was  borrowed  from  the  Babylonia  story,  where  it  is 
the  last  of  three  different  birds  set  loose  by  the  hero. 

8.  The  removal  of  the  raven  leaves  this  story  with  three  birds,  all 
of  the  same  species.    Moreover,when  the  first  is  released,  a  reason  is 
given,  to  see  if  the  waters  were  abated. 

9.  The  dove  found  no  rest.  Naturally,  since,  according  to  the  account 
to  which  this  passage  belonged,  it  had  just  ceased  raining. 

10.  The  word  other  seems  to  have  been  added,  when  the  raven  was 
introduced  into  the  story,  to  indicate  that  it  was  sent  out  seven  days 
before  the  first  dove.     The  dove.     A  dove  would  be  just  as  correct 
both  here  and  in  v.  12. 

11.  An  olive  leaf;    or  olive  leaves.     Noah  knew;    because  the  olive 
does  not  grow  above  a  certain  altitude. 

78 


GENESIS 


yet  other  l  seven  days:   and  2  sent  forth  the  dove;   and 

13.  she  returned  not  again  unto  him  any  more.  |  And  it  P 
came  to  pass  in  the  six  hundred  and  first  year,3  in  the 
first  month,  the  first  day  of  the  month,  °the  waters  were 
dried  up  from  off  the  earth :  j  And  Noah  removed  the  J2 
covering  of  the  ark,  and  looked,  and,  behold,  the  face 

14.  of  the  ground  was  dried.  |  And  in  °the  second  month,   P 
on0  the  seven  and  twentieth  day  of  the  month,0  was  the 
earth  dry. 

1  Many  Gr.  mss.  om.  *  Gr.  adds  again.  *  Gr.  adds,  of  the  life  of  Noah. 


13.  At  this  point  the  story  of  the  birds  is  interrupted  by  another 
of  the  series  of  dates  from  the  Priestly  account  begun  in  vs.  4  f .,  the 
last  of  which  is  found  in  v.  14.     It  can  have  no  connection  with  the 
preceding  verses.     The  waters  were  dried  up  from  off  the  earth;    had 
disappeared  from  the  surface  of  the  ground.    The  latter  part  of  the 
verse  is  the  parallel  statement  which  formed  the  conclusion  of  the 
story  of  the  birds. 

14.  According  to  the  Priestly  version  it  was  the  second  month, 
and  the  seven  and  twentieth  day,  nearly  two  months  later,  when  the 
earth  was  thoroughly  dry.    Thus,  while,   according  to  the  Judean 
version,  the  Flood  came  to  an  end  in  fifty-four  days,  according  to  this 
one  it  lasted  a  lunar  year  and  ten  or  eleven  days,  or  a  round  solar 
year. 

In  the  course  of  the  comments  references  have  been  made  to  a 
Babylonian  story  of  the  Flood.  For  the  text  of  it,  see  Pinches,  Old 
Testament,  101  ff.;  Jastrow,  Religion  of  Babylonia  and  Assyria,  495  ff. 
It  is  much  older  than  either  of  the  Hebrew  accounts.  Neither  of 
these  is  historical,  but  they  are  probably  alike  based  on  an  actual 
occurrence,  a  destructive  inundation  in  the  valley  of  the  Euphrates. 
This  event  the  Babylonians  pictured  as  the  result  of  jealousy  and  dis- 
sension among  their  numerous  deities.  The  Hebrews,  on  the  other 
hand,  saw  in  it  a  display  of  the  righteousness  of  their  God,  and  used 
it  as  an  instrument  in  awakening  moral  responsibility  and  securing 
reverence  for,  and  obedience  to,  his  revealed  will. 


79 


GENESIS 


4.   Noah's  Offering,  8  :  15-22 

p    15,   1 6.     And  God 1  spake  unto  Noah,  saying,  Go  forth  of  2 
the  ark,  thou,  and  thy  °wif  e,3  and  thy  °sons,4  and  thy  sons' 

17.  wives  with  thee.    Bring5  forth  with  thee  °6  every  living 
thing  that  is  6  with  thee  of  7  all  flesh,  both  fowl,  and 
cattle,  and  every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the 
earth ;  that  they  may  °  8  breed  abundantly  in  the  earth, 

18.  and  8  be  fruitful,  and  multiply  upon  the  earth.     And 
Noah  went  forth,  and  his  sons,  and  his  wife,  and  his 

19.  sons'  wives  with  him:  every  9  °beast,  01°  every  creeping 
thing,  and  every  fowl,  whatsoever  moveth  10  upon  the 
earth,  after  their  families,  went  forth  out  of  the  ark.  | 

J2   20.   And  Noah  builded  °an  altar  unto  the  LORD  ;    and  took 

1  Gr.  the  Lord  God.  *  SV  from.  3  Syr.  sons.  *  Syr.  wife.  *  Sam.  Gr.  Sy. 
and  bring.  6  Gr.  all  tlie  beasts  that  are.  i  Gr.  and.  &  Gr.  om.  <>  Sam.  Gr.  Vg. 
Syr.  and  every.  I0  Sam.  every  creeping  thing,  and  every  fowl,  and  every  creeping 
thing  that  creepeth;  Gr.  Syr.  all  the  cattle,  and  every  bird  (Gr.  and)  every  creeping  thing 
(Gr.  that  moveth);  Vg.  cattle  and  reptiles  that  creep. 

Noah,  having,  at  the  divine  command,  left  the  ark,  offers  a  sacri- 
fice; whereupon  Yahweh  is  pleased  to  reveal  to  him  a  changed  purpose 
toward  mankind.  The  paragraph  is  clearly  composite,  the  first  five 
verses  being  from  the  Priestly,  the  last  three  from  the  Judean, 
narrative. 

16.  Here,  for  once,  Noah's  wife  takes  precedence  of  his  sons.     See 
6  :  18;    7  :  13;    also  v.  18.    The  Syriac  Version,  however,  has  thy 
sons  and  thy  wife. 

17.  Every  living  thing  is  here  used  in  the  same  sense  as  in  6  :  19. 
Here,  too,  the  wild  beasts  as  a  distinct  class  are  omitted.     Breed 
abundantly;    lit.  swarm.     See  i  :  21  f.;    7  :  21. 

19.  The  rendering  beast  is  inconsistent  with  v.  17,  where  the  same 
Hebrew  word  is  rendered  living  thing.     Here,  as  there,  the  term  was 
intended  to  be  a  general  one  followed  by  particulars.     Here,  how- 
ever, the  text  has  suffered,  all  the  cattle  having  fallen  out,  and  every 
creeping  thing,  which  should  be  preceded  by  and,  having  become 
separated  from  the  descriptive  clause  that  should  follow  it.     Read, 
therefore,  after  the  Greek  and  Syriac  Versions,  all  the  cattle,  and  all 
the  birds,  and  every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth. 

20.  An  altar;  the  first  mentioned,  although,  of  course,  the  use  of  one 

80 


GENESIS 


of  every  clean  beast,  and  of  every  clean  fowl,  and  offered 

21.  °burnt  offerings  on  the  altar.     And  °the  LORD  smelled 
the  sweet  savour:    and  the  LORD  said  °in  his  heart,  °I 
will  not  again  curse  the  ground  any  more  °for  man's 
1  sake,  for  that 1  the  imagination  of  man's  heart  is  evil 
from  his  youth;    neither  will  I  again  smite  any  more 

22.  every  thing  living,  °as  I  have  done.     While  the  earth 
remaineth,  seedtime  and  harvest,  and2  cold  and  heat, 
and  2  summer  and  winter,  and 2  3  day  and  night 3  shall 
not  cease. 

1  m.  sake;  for.      *  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  om.       3  Vg.  night  and  day. 


is  implied  in  the  story  of  Cain  and  Abel.  See  4  :  3  f .  The  offerings 
now  made  differ  from  that  of  Abel,  being  burnt  offerings,  i.e.,  sacrifices 
that  were  wholly  consumed  on  the  altar. 

21.  The  LORD  smelled  the  sweet  savor.    This  anthropomorphic 
expression  is  the  more  interesting  because  there  is  a  striking  parallel  to 
it  in  the  Babylonian  story.     Its  hero  also  "  offered  an  offering,"  and 

"The  gods  smelled  the  odor, 
The  gods  smelled  the  pleasant  odor." 

In  his  heart;  to  himself.  I  will  not  again  curse  the  ground;  as  he 
had  done  to  punish  the  first  pair.  For  man's  sake;  on  man's  account. 
The  next  clause  is  easily  misunderstood.  It  gives  Yahweh's  reason, 
not  for  not  cursing  the  earth  again,  but  for  cursing  it  the  first  time. 
It  would  be  better,  therefore,  to  render  it,  namely,  because  the  imagina- 
tion, etc.  As  I  have  done;  by  the  Flood.  See  Is.  54  :  9. 

22.  The  thought  of  this  verse  is  not  that  henceforth  Yahweh  will 
wink  at  the  sins  of  men,  but  that  he  will  not  again  destroy  them  in  the 
mass,  as  he  has  done.    The  same  idea  is  found  in  the  Babylonian  story, 
where  the  god  Ea  is  represented  as  pleading  with  Bel,  "  instead  of 
causing  a  flood,"  to  let  the  lion,  etc.,  decimate  them. 


81 


IV.  THE  OUTLOOK  FOR  THE  FUTURE,  9  :  1-29 
i.    The  Introduction  of  Animal  Food,  9  :  1-7 

P     9.       And  °God  blessed  Noah  and  his  sons,  and  said  unto 
them,   Be  fruitful,    and   multiply,    and   replenish    the 

2.  earth.1     And  °the  fear  of  you  and  the  dread  of  you 
shall  be  upon  every  beast  of  the  earth,  and  upon  every 
fowl  of  the  air :   with  2  all  wherewith  the  ground  teem- 
eth,3  and  all  the  fishes  of  the  sea,  into  your  hand  4  are 

3.  they    °delivered.4     Every5    moving   thing   that   liveth 
shall  be  °food  for  you ;   as  the  green  herb  have  I  given 

4.  you  all.     But  flesh  with  the  life  thereof,  which  is  °the 

1  Gr.  adds,  and  rule  over  it.  *  Gr.  Syr.  and  upon.  3  m.  creepeth.  •*  Sam. 
Gr.  have  I  delivered  (Sam.  them).  s  Gr.  Syr.  And  every. 

To  the  story  of  the  Flood  there  are  appended  certain  passages  bear- 
ing on  the  future  of  the  family  of  Noah  and  their  descendants. 

Heretofore,  according  to  the  author  of  this  passage,  men  have  eaten 
only  vegetable  food.  They  are  now  permitted  to  eat  all  the  lower 
animals  without  distinction,  but  forbidden  to  eat  their  blood  or  to  shed 
one  another's.  The  whole  paragraph  comes  from  the  Priestly  source. 

1.  God  blessed  Noah;    as  he  did  Adam.     See  i  :  28. 

2.  The  fear  of  you.    The  degenerate  animals,  having  lost  their 
respect  for  man,  must  be  held  in  check  by  a  sense  of  their  own  weak- 
ness.    Delivered;    placed  at  another's  disposal. 

3.  In  the  preceding  verse  God  does  not  say  for  what  purpose  he  has 
given  the  animals  into  man's  hands.     Now  it  appears  that  they  are  to 
be  used  without  distinction  for  food.     This  is  the  more  remarkable 
because  there  is  no  part  of  the  Pentateuch  in  which  the  line  between 
the  clean  and  the  unclean  is  more  clearly  drawn  than  in  the  extracts 
from  the  Priestly  document.     See  Lev.  n  :  i  ff.    The  explanation  is 
that  the  author,  or  authors,  of  that  work  held  that  this  distinction  was 
first  made  by  Moses. 

4.  The  blood,  because  it  represents  the  life  of  the  animal,  belongs 
to  the  Author  of  all  life.    There  are  no  instructions  about  the  dis- 
position to  be  made  of  it,  but  the  common  practice  was  to  pour  it 
upon  the  ground  and  cover  it  with  dust.     See  Lev.  17  :  13. 

82 


GENESIS 


9:9 


5.  blood  thereof,   shall  ye  not  eat.     And   surely 1   your 
blood,  °the  blood  of  your  lives,  will  I  require;    °at  the 
hand  of  every  beast  will  I  require  it :    and 1  at  the 
hand   of  man,   even   °at  the  hand  of  2  every  man's 

6.  brother,2  °will  I  require  the  life  of  man.     Whoso  shed- 
deth  man's  blood,  °by  man  shall  his  blood  be  shed :  for 

7.  °in  the  image  of  God  made  he 3  man.     And  you,  be  ye 
fruitful,  and  multiply ;   °bring  4  forth  abundantly  in  the 
earth,  and  °multiply  *  therein. 

2.    The  bow  of  promise,  9  :  8-17 

8.  And  God  spake  unto  Noah,  and  to  °his  sons  with   P 

9.  him,  saying,  And  I,  behold,  I  establish  my  °covenant 

1  Sam.  om.  3  Sam.  Vg.  Syr.  a  man  and  his  brother.  3  Gr.  7.  *  Sam.  Gr.  Vg. 
syr.  Tar.  and  bring. 

5.  The  blood  of  your  lives;   your  life  blood.     At  the  hand  of  every 
beast  will  I  require  it;    every  beast  that  sheds  human  blood  must 
answer  therefor  with  its  own  life.       See  Ex.  21  :  28.     At  the  hand 
of  every  man's  brother;    from  the  man  who  kills  another.      Will  I 
require  the  life  of  man;    he  must  answer  with  his  own  life  for  the  life 
that  he  has  taken. 

6.  The  latter  of  the  two  laws  of  v.  5  is  here  made  a  little  more 
definite  by  the   addition  of  by  man.     This  phrase    is  a  warrant  for 
the  lex  talionis,  according  to  which  the  next  of  kin  became  the  avenger 
of  the  slain.     Later,  according  to  Num.  35  :  9  ff.  (P),  this  law  was 
modified  by  God  through  Moses.    The  original   practice  may   be 
traced  in  the  history  of  the  Hebrews.     See  2  Sam.  3  :  27;    14  :  n. 
The  reason  for  the  severity  of  this  law  is  found  in  man's  superior  rank: 
in  the  image  of  God  made  he  (Gr.  7)  man. 

7.  Bring  forth  abundantly;     lit.   swarm,  as    in    8  :  17.     Multiply 
therein;    a  useless  repetition,  probably  by  mistake   for  rule   over  it. 
See  i  :  28. 

God  proclaims  a  covenant  with  Noah  and  his  descendants  and  ap- 
points a  token  of  his  enduring  promise.  This  paragraph,  also,  is  of 
Priestly  origin. 

8.  His  sons  with  him.     Heretofore  God  has  dealt  only  with  Noah. 

9.  The  covenant,  also,  is  with  the  whole  family.     It  is  not  an  agree- 
ment accompanied  by  a  sacrifice,  but  a  gracious  assurance. 

83 


g  ;  io  GENESIS 


10.  with  you,  and  with  your  seed  after  you;  arid  with  °every 
living  creature  that  is  with  you,  the  1  fowl,  the 2  cattle 
and  every  beast  of  the  earth  with  you ;  °of  all  that  go  out 

11.  of  the  ark, 3  even  every  beast  of  the  earth.3  ,  And  I  will 
establish  my  covenant  with  you;   neither  shall  all  flesh 
be  cut  off  any  more  by  the  waters  of  the  flood ;  neither 
shall  there  any  more  be  a  flood 4  to  destroy  the  earth. 

12.  And  God  said,5  This  is   °the  token  of  the  covenant 
°which  I  make  between  me  and  you  and  every  living 
creature  that    is  with  you,  for  perpetual  generations: 

13.  °I  do  6  set  my  bow  in  the  cloud,  and  it  shall  be  for  a 

14.  token  of  a  covenant  between  me  and  the  earth.     And  it 
shall  come  to  pass,  when  I  bring  a  cloud  over  the  earth,7 

15.  that  the  bow  shall  be  seen  in  the  cloud,  and  °I  will 


1  Syr.  and  the.          *  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  and  the.         3  Gr.  om.          •»  Gr.  adds,  of  water. 
s  Gr.  Syr.  add,  to  Noah.        6  m.  have.          '  Vg.  heaven. 


10.  The  covenant  also  concerns  every  living  creature,  but  only  three 
of  the  four  classes  of  animals  are  mentioned.     The  last  clause  is  not 
clear,  but  it  seems  to  be  intended  as  a  summary  of  the  parties  of  the 
second  part.     This  would  be  more  evident  if  the  literal  rendering  of 
AV,  with  from  for  of  at  the  beginning,  and  to  for  even,  had  been  re- 
tained.    All  that  go  out  of  the  ark  would  then  mean  Noah  and  his 
family  as  the  first-mentioned  survivors,  every  beast  of  the  earth  being 
the  last. 

11.  The  content  of  the  covenant  is  a  promise  not  again  to  permit 
a  flood  to  destroy  the  earth.     In  other  words,  it  is  the  Priestly  version 
of  the  covenant  of  8  :  21  ff. 

12.  The  token  of  the  covenant ;  the  reminder  of  its  existence.    The 
relative  which  is  ambiguous.     By  the  choice  of  the  verb  make  the  trans- 
lators evidently  intended  that  it  should  refer  to  the  covenant,  and  not 
to  the  sign ;  which  is  probably  correct. 

13.  I  do  set  my  bow  in  the  cloud.    The  margin  suggests  have  for 
do,  but  the  future  would  be  still  better  ;  for  it  is  probable  that,  accord- 
ing to  the  author,  the  rainbow  had  not  before  been  seen.     The  Indian 
god  Indra  is  described  as  suspending  the  bow  from  which  he  has  shot 
his  lightnings  in  the  clouds.      See,  also,  Pinches,  Old  Testament,  28. 

15.    I  will  remember ;  as  if  he  might  otherwise  forget.     This  is  one 

84 


GENESIS  9  :  19 


remember  my  covenant,  which  is  between  me  and  you 
and  every  living  creature  1 2  of  all  flesh  2 ;  and  the  waters 

16.  shall  no  more  become  a  flood  to  destroy  all  flesh.     And 
the  bow  shall  be  in  the  cloud;   and  I  will  look  upon  it, 
that  I  may  remember  the  everlasting  covenant  between 
God  and  every  living  creature  of  all  flesh  that  is  upon 

17.  the  earth.     And  God  said  unto  Noah,  This  is  the  token 
of  the  covenant  which  I  have  established  between  me 
and  all  flesh  that  is  upon  the  earth. 

3.    The  Fate  of  Canaan,  9  :  18-29 

18.  And  the  sons  of  Noah,  that  went  forth  of  the  ark,   Ja 
were  Shem,  and  3  Ham,  and  Japheth :  |  and  °Ham  is   R 

19.  the  father  of  Canaan.  |  These  three  were  the  sons  of   J2 
Noah :  and  of  these  °was  the  whole  earth  overspread.  | 

1  Sam.  Syr.  add,  that  is  with  you.  '  Vg.  that  eatelh  flesh;  Syr.  and  between  all  flesh. 
» Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  om. 

of  the  few  instances  in  which  the  Priestly  narrator  imitates  the  an- 
thropomorphisms of  the  earlier  writers. 

17.  Here  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  relative  refers  to  the  cove- 
nant, and  not  to  the  token.     See  v.  12. 

Noah,  having  made  the  first  wine  and  become  intoxicated,  is  found 
uncovered  by  one  of  his  sons,  who  tells  his  brothers.  The  latter  cover 
him.  When  the  patriarch  comes  to  himself,  he  pronounces  a  curse 
upon  Canaan  and  a  blessing  upon  Shem  and  Japheth.  The  incident 
is  introduced  by  two  verses  which  are  of  secondary  origin  and  belong 
at  the  beginning  of  chapter  10.  The  story  itself,  which  is  from  the  Ju- 
dean  source,  should  come  before  the  Flood,  and,  indeed,  after  4  :  24. 
Perhaps,  as  has  been  suggested,  it  was  omitted  by  the  original  com- 
piler and  inserted  here  by  a  later  hand.  To  the  end  of  it  are  attached 
a  few  words  from  P. 

1 8.  Ham  is  the  father  of  Canaan.    The  object  of  this  explanation 
does  not  at  first  appear,  but  the  following  verses  show  that  it  is  an 
editorial  addition  for  the  purpose  of  harmonizing  the  story  with  its 
present  setting.     See  further  vs.  22,  24. 

19.  The  statement  that  from  the  three  sons  of  Noah  the  whole 
earth,  or  its  population,  was  overspread  has  the  Flood  for  its  back- 


GENESIS 


J   20.   And  °Noah  began  to  be  an  husbandman,,  and  planted 

21.  a  vineyard:    and   °he  drank  of  the  wine,    and    was 

22.  drunken;  and  he  was  uncovered  °within  his  tent.    And  | 
R,  J  °Ham,  the  father  of  |  Canaan,  saw  the  nakedness  of 

23.  his  father,  and  1  °told  his  two  brethren  without.     And 
Shem  and  Japheth  took  °a  garment,  and  laid  it  upon 
both  their  shoulders,  and  went  backward,  and  covered 
the  nakedness  of  their  father;    and  their  faces  were 
backward,  and  they  saw  not  their  father's  nakedness. 

24.  And  Noah  awoke  from  his  wine,  and  knew  what  °his 

25.  youngest 2  son  had  done  unto  him.     And  he  said, 

Cursed  be  °Canaan ; 

°A  servant  of  servants  shall  he  be  unto  °his  brethren. 

1  Gr.  adds,  going  forth.       *  m.  younger. 

ground,  and  looks  forward,  not  to  the  story  that  now  follows,  but  to 
the  genealogy  in  the  next  chapter. 

20.  Noah  began  to  be  an  husbandman  is  incorrect,  Noah  not  being 
the  first  husbandman,  but  the  first  vintner.    Read,  therefore,  Noah,  the 
husbandman,  planted  the  first  vineyard. 

21.  He  drank  of  the  wine,  on  a  certain  occasion,  and  was  drunken. 
Within  his  tent ;    where  he  was  sleeping  off  his  indulgence. 

22.  Ham,  the  father  of  Canaan.    The  original  reading  was  simply 
Canaan,  as  is  shown  by  the  fact,  otherwise  inexplicable,  that  it  is 
Canaan,  and  not  his  father,  who  is  cursed.    Observe,  also,  that  in  vs. 
25  f.  Canaan  is  placed  on  an  equality  with  Shem  and  Japheth.     See 
further  v.  24.     The  young  man  is  not  blamed  for  seeing  his  father  in 
the  condition  described,  but  because,  instead  of  obeying  the  promptings 
of  decency,  he  went  and,  presumably  with  immodest  levity,  told  his 
two  brethren. 

23.  A  garment ;  probably  the  large,  full  'abayeh  which  serves  the  ori- 
ental as  a  covering  by  night  as  well  as  by  day.     See  Ex.  22  :  26  25. 

24.  His  youngest  son.    This  cannot  have  been  Ham,  who  is  always 
represented  as  the  second  of  the  three.     See  v.  18;  5  :  32. 

25.  It  now  appears  who  Noah's  youngest  son  was;    viz.,  Canaan. 
In  other  words,  according  to  this  story,  the  sons  of  Noah  were  Shem, 
Japheth,  and  Canaan ;    and  Canaan  was  cursed,  not,  as  many  have 
held,  for  what  his  father  had  done,  but  because  he  himself  had  been 
guilty  of  gross  indecency.     A  servant  of  servants,  the  lowest  of  ser- 
vants.    His  brethren,  Shem  and  Japheth.     Canaan  here  represents 

86 


GENESIS 


26.  And  he  said, 

Blessed  be  the  LORD,  *  the  God  of  f  Shem; 
And  let  Canaan  be  °his  1  servant. 

27.  °God  enlarge  °Japheth, 

And  2  let  him  2  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Shem; 
And  °let  Canaan  be  his  *  servant.  | 

28.  And  Noah  lived  °after  the  flood  three  hundred  and  fifty 

29.  years.     And  all  the  days  of  Noah  were  °nine  hundred 
and  fifty  years :   and  he  died. 

1  m.  Syr.  Tar.  their.      '  m.  he  shall. 


the  primitive  tribes  of  Palestine.     On  their  shamelessness,  see  19  :  5; 
Lev.  18  :  24  f. 

26.  Having  cursed  Canaan,  Noah  takes  occasion  to  bless  his  other 
two  sons.    The  first  of  these  blessings  has  been  changed  to  a  doxol- 
ogy.    The  original  reading  was   probably,  Bless,    Yahiveh,  the  tents 
of  Shem,  or,  better,  Blessed  of  Yahweh,  be  Shem.     In  either  case  his 
servant  means  the  servant  of  Shem,  and  not  of  Yahweh.     This  bless- 
ing was  realized  when  the  Hebrews,  whom  Shem  here  represents,  sub- 
dued the  Canaanites.     See  Josh.  9  :  21  ff.;  Jud.  i  :  28  ;  i  Kgs.  9  :  20  f. 

27.  God ;    not,  as  in  the  preceding  verse,    Yahweh.     See  3:2  ff. 
Japheth.    The  name  is  generally  interpreted  as  a  comprehensive  term 
including  the  peoples  enumerated  in  10  :  2-4 ;    but,  if  Canaan  repre- 
sents the  primitive  tribes  of  Palestine,  and  Shem  their  conquerors,  the 
probability  is  that  this  third  name  is  intended  to  designate  a  neigh- 
boring people.    The  Philistines  have  been  suggested ;    but  they  can 
hardly  be  meant,  since  they  were  always  hostile  to  the  Hebrews. 
The  only  neighbors  with  whom  the  Hebrews  were  on  lasting  terms  of 
friendship,  and  toward  whom  they  had  no  serious  reasons  for  jealousy, 
were  the  Phoenicians.     The  two  peoples  spoke  the  same  language, 
and  mingled  freely  one  with  the  other ;    and  their  royal  houses  were 
united  by  treaty  and  intermarriage.     See  Am.  i  :  9  f.;    2  Sam.  5:11; 
i  Kgs.  5  :  i  ff.;    n  :  i ;    16  :  31  ;    2  Kgs.  8  :  18.     Let  Canaan  be  his 
servant.    The  northern  Canaanites  were  tributary  to  the  merchants 
of  Tyre  and  Sidon.     See  i  Kgs.  9  :  10  ff. 

28.  After  the  flood  ;  more  exactly,  after  the  beginning  of  the  Flood. 
See  7  :  6;   8  :  13. 

29.  Nine  hundred  and  fifty  years.     Thus,  according  to  the  received 
text,  Noah,  in  spite  of  his  conspicuous  piety  and  the  evident  favor  of 
God,  lived  fewer  years  than  either  Jered  or  Methuselah.     According 

8? 


GENESIS 


to  the  Samaritans,  on  the  other  hand,  —  and  this  is  a  proof  of  the  su- 
periority of  their  text  of  chapter  5,  —  he  lived  longer  then  they  or  any 
other  of  his  predecessors.  See  Appendix,  Note  A. 

In  this  paragraph  the  vintner  Noah  is  identified  with  the  hero  of 
the  Flood.  The  whole  tenor  and  content  of  vs.  20-27,  however, 
shows  that  he  belongs  with  the  Cainites  of  4  :  17  ff.  The  story  was 
removed  from  its  original  connection,  and  Canaan  made  a  grandson  of 
Noah,  when  the  Judean  account  of  the  Flood  was  inserted,  because 
such  a  person  as  tradition  said  that  Canaan  was  must  have  perished 
in  that  catastrophe. 


88 


II.   THE    ORIGIN    OF    THE    HEBREW    PEOPLE, 
CHS.  10-50 

I.  THE  PLACE  OF  THE  HEBREWS  AMONG  THE  PEOPLES, 
10  :  i-n  :  32 

i.   The  Families  of  the  Earth,  10  :  i-n  19 

10.       Now  these  are  the  generations  of  the  sons  of  Noah,   p   10  :  I 
1  Shem  Ham *   and   Japheth :  |  and   unto  them  were  J2 
sons  born  after  the  flood. 

1  SV  namely,  Shem,  Ham. 

The  Second  Part  of  Genesis  commences  with  a  general  survey  of 
the  races  sprung  from  Noah;  but  the  field  rapidly  contracts  until 
there  is  room  for  but  a  single  family,  the  rest  of  the  world  being 
ignored,  except  as  this  family  comes  in  contact  with,  or  is  influenced 
by,  it. 

The  first  division  presents,  in  a  genealogical  form,  the  relations  of 
the  various  peoples  known  to  the  Hebrews,  and  then  traces  the  descent 
from  Noah  of  the  father  of  the  Chosen  People. 

The  various  families  of  the  earth  are  viewed,  first  as  branches  grad- 
ually produced  by  the  parent  stock,  and  then  as  the  result  of  divin'e 
interference  with  human  tendencies. 

(i)    The  grand  divisions  of  the  race,  10  11-32 

They  are  taken  in  the  reverse  of  the  natural  order,  that  the  one  to 
which  the  Hebrews  belong  may  come  last.  See  Appendix,  Note  B. 
The  text  consists  of  a  nearly  or  quite  complete  genealogy  from  the 
Priestly  document,  expanded  by  additions  from  Jahvistic  and  other 
sources. 

i.  The  latter  half  of  this  verse  seems  to  have  belonged  originally  to 
9:  19. 

(a)  The  children  of  Japheth ;  10  :  2-5.  They  occupy  the  northern 
zone  of  the  Hebrew  world. 

89 


GENESIS 


2.  The  sons   of  Japheth;  °Gomer,   and  °Magog,   and 
Madai,  and  °Javan,  and  °Tubal,  and  °Meshech/  and 

3.  °Tiras.     And  the  sons  of  Gomer;  °Ashkenaz,  and  °Ri- 

4.  phath,    and    °Togarmah.     And    the    sons    of    Javan; 
°Elishah,2  and  °Tarshish,  °*  Kittim,  and  °Dodanim.3  f 

5.  Of4  these  °5  were  the  isles6  °of  the  nations  divided5 

*  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Mosoch.        *  Sam.  Elhh.        *  Sam.  Gr.  Rodanim.        *  Syr.  And 
from.       *  Syr.  were  they  spread  into  the  isles  of  the  nations.       6  m.  coastlands. 


2.  Gomer  represents  the  Kimmerians,  who  are  supposed  to  have 
given  its  name  to  the  Crimea.     They  appeared  in  Asia  in  the  seventh 
century  B.C.     In  Ezek.  38  :  6  they  are    mentioned   among   the   fol- 
lowers of  Gog,  or,  as  he  is  here  called,  Magog,  the  Scythians.     See 
Is.  13  :  17  f.     Javan;   strictly  the  loniansof  southwestern  Asia  Minor, 
but  in  the  Old  Testament  the  Greeks  in  general.    See  Zech.  9  :  13,  etc. 
Here,  as  in  Ezek.  27  :   13,  they  are  associated  with  Tubal  and  Me- 
shech,  or  Moshoch,  the  Tibarenians  and  Moschians,  two  tribes  who, 
about  the  middle  of  the  ninth  century  B.C.,  had  their  homes  north  of 
Cilicia.    Three  centuries  later  they  occupied  the  mountainous  region 
southeast  of  the  Black  Sea.  See  Ezek.  38  :  3.     Tiras  is  perhaps  the 
Tyrsenians,  the  Turushu  of  the  Egyptian  inscriptions,  in  and  about 
the  yEgean  Sea. 

3.  Ashkenaz ;    perhaps  the  Ashguza,  northeast  of   Assyria,  men- 
tioned in  the  cuneiform  inscriptions.     Riphath  was  probably  in  the 
region  of  Togarmah,  or,  as  the  Greek  Version  pronounces  it,  Thor- 
gama,  which  is  plausibly  identified  with  Armenia. 

4.  Elishah  is  sometimes  identified  with  the  Alashia  of  the  Tell 
el-Amarna  letters,  and  that  with  either  Cyprus  or  some  part  of  north- 
ern Syria;   but  if,  as  will  be  shown,  Javan  had  only  two  sons,  it  is 
safer  to  take  this  one  as  representing  the  Greeks  of  the  eastern  end  of 
the  Mediterranean,  and  Tarshish  as  a  comprehensive  name  for  the 
more  remote  colonies,  including  Tartessus  in  Spain,  outside  the  Strait 
of  Gibraltar.     See  Jer.  10  :  9;    Ezek.  27  :  12.    The  last  two  names 
betray  by  their  form,  which  is  plural,  that  they  are  not  original.     The 
former,  Kittim,  from  Kition,  the  ancient  name  of  Larnaka,  in  Cyprus, 
though  sometimes  used  in  a  larger  sense,  is  properly  the  Cypriotes ; 
(Is.   23  :  i,   12),  while  Dodanim,  an  error  for  Rodanim,  means  the 
Rhodians.     The   addition   of   these   names   was   suggested   by   the 
prominence  at  the  time  of  the  communities  so  designated. 

5.  This  verse,  in  its  present  form,  is  misleading,  because,  as  a 
comparison  of  it  with  vs.  20  and  31  will  show,  several  words  have  been 
lost.     Read,  And  from  these,  the  two  sons  of  Javari,  were  the  isles, 

90 


GENESIS 


°in  their  lands,  every  one  after  his  tongue;   after  their 
families,  in  their  nations. 

6.  And  the  sons  of  Ham;    °Cush,  and  °Mizraim,  and   P 

7.  °Put,  and  °Canaan.     And  the  sons  of  Cush;  °Seba,  and 
°Havilah,  and  °Sabtah,  and  °Raamah,  and  °Sabteca: 
and    the    sons    of    Raamah;    °Sheba,   and    °Dedan.  | 


coasts,  of  the  nations  divided ;  then,  after  a  full  stop,  add,  These  are 
the  sons  ofJapheth  in  their  lands,  etc.  The  idea  is  that  the  differences 
in  language  among  the  peoples  enumerated  was  the  result  of  their 
separation  from  one  another. 

(b)  The  children  of  Ham,  10  :  6-20.    They  are  the  peoples  to  the 
south. 

6.  Cush ;  here  the  region  east  of  the  Nile,  above  the  first  cataract, 
called  by  the  ancients  Ethiopia.     See  2  Kgs.  19  :  9;  Ezek.  29  :  10 ; 
etc.     Mizraim ;  Egypt  in  its  entirety.     Put ;  the  Punt  of  the  Egyptian 
inscriptions,  on  the  African  coast  about  the  southern  end  of  the  Red 
Sea.     Canaan ;  the  country  and  people  of  Palestine. 

7.  In  Is.  43  :  3  Seba  is  associated  with  Cush  and  Mizraim,  and  this 
fact  gives  some  ground  for  identifying  it  with  Saba,   according  to 
Strabo  (xvi.  8,  10)  a  harbor  on  the  west  coast  of  the  Red  Sea  near  the 
modern  town  of  Massaua.     Still,  since  in  Ps.  72  :  10  it  is  mentioned 
in  connection  with  Sheba,  the  author  may  have  located  it,  with  the  rest 
of  the  "  sons  "  of  Cush,  in  Arabia.    The  Havilah  here  named  is  some- 
times identified  with  the  Abalitae,  a  tribe  that  formerly  occupied  a  part 
of  the  coast  of  Africa  a  little  south  of  the  Strait  of  Bab  el-Mandeb, 
where  there  was  also  a  Sinus  Aualites.    This,  however,  would  make 
it  a  "  son  "  of  Put.     It  is  therefore  possible  that  the  present  writer, 
like  the  author  of  2:11,  located  it  in  Arabia.     Sabtah  is  supposed 
to  represent  Sabata,  the  capital  of  ancient  Hadramaut,  in  southern 
Arabia.     Raamah  is  probably  a  place  of  the  same  name  mentioned 
in  the  Sabean  inscriptions,  and  the  Rammanitae  of  Strabo  (xvi.  4,  24). 
Sabteca,  also,  must  have  been  in  southern  Arabia,   but  its  precise 
location  has  not  been  determined.     Sheba  is  the  country  of  the  Sabe- 
ans,  whose  queen  is  reported  to  have  paid  Solomon  a  visit.     See  i  Kgs. 
10  :  i  ff.     It  was  a  part  of  southwestern  Arabia,  and  its  capital  was 
Marib.    Comp.  v.  28;    25  :  3.     Dedan,  according  to  Ezek.   25  :  13, 
was   in   northern   Arabia,    adjoining   Edom.     Comp.    25  :  3.     Thus, 
wherever  the  author  may  have  located  the  peoples  represented  by  the 
first  two  names,  he  evidently  intended  to  teach  that  Arabia  was  settled 
from  Africa.     On   this  ethnographical  information   and  suggestion 
see  Mitchell,  The  World  before  Abraham,  and  the  Dictionary  of  the 
Bible  under  the  various  names. 

91 


GENESIS 


p  8.  And  Cush  begat  °Nimrod :  °he  began  to  be  a  *  mighty 
R  9.  one  l  in  the  earth.  |  °He  was  a  mighty  hunter  before 

the  LORD  :  wherefore  it  is  said,  Like  Nimrod  a  mighty 
J2  10.  hunter  °before  the  LORD.  |  And  °the  beginning  of  his 

kingdom  was  °Babel,  and  °Erech,  and  °Afccad,  and 
ii.  °Calneh,  in  °the  land  of  Shinar.2  Out  of  that  land  he  3 

went  forth  into  3  Assyria,  and  builded  °Nineveh,  and 

1  Gr.  giant.        '  Tar.  Babylon.       3  m.  om. 

8.  At  this  point  the  compiler  has  inserted  into  the  Priestly  table 
the  history  of  Nimrod,  a  son  of  Cush  who  is  not  mentioned  in  v.  7, 
and  who  cannot  be  identified  with  any  tribe  or  people,  but  must  be 
treated  as  an  individual.     He,  also,  marked  a  stage  in  the  history  of 
human  development ;  he  began  to  be  a  mighty  one,  which  in  English 
means,  he  was  the  first  mighty  one,  i.e.,  the  first  powerful  ruler. 

9.  The  explanation  of  the  last  statement  is  delayed  by  the  intro- 
duction of  another  item  concerning  Nimrod  that  does  not  seem  to 
belong  to  the  original  story.     He  was  a  mighty  hunter,  like  all  the  great 
Assyrian  and  Babylonian  kings.    The  phrase  before  the  LORD  has  the 
effect  of  a  superlative.     See  Jn.  3  :  3,  m. 

10.  The  beginning  of  his  kingdom  ;  his  original  kingdom.     Babel ; 
Babylon.     Erech;   Gr.  Orech,  Ass.    Uruk,  now  Warka,  on  the  left 
bank   of   the   Euphrates,    about   a   hundred  miles  below    Babylon. 
Accad ;    a  city  somewhere  in    northern    Babylonia    which    was    of 
enough  importance  to  give  its  name  to  that  part  of  the  country.     The 
location  of  Calneh,  also,  which  was  identified  by  the  Jews  with  Niffer 
(Nippur),  is  uncertain.     The  land  of  Shinar  is  here  only  another  name 
for  Babylonia.    The  fact  that  Nimrod  is  represented  as  the  founder 
of  these  cities,  or  the  kingdom  that  included  them,  favors  the  supposi- 
tion that  his  name  is  a  corruption,  perhaps  intentional,  of  that  of 
Marduk,  the  tutelar  deity  of  Babylon,  to  whom  was  ascribed  by  the 
Babylonians  themselves  the  foundation  of  the  first  two.     See  Mic. 
5:5;   Pinches,  Old  Testament,  40  f. 

11.  The  same  monarch  is  credited  with  the  foundation  of  Nineveh, 
the  ruins  of  which  lie  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Tigris  opposite  the  modern 
town  of  Mosul.     It  was  the  capital  of  Assyria  from  the  reign  of  Sen- 
nacherib (705-681)  until  the  empire  was  overthrown  by  the  Medes 
and  Persians.     Rehoboth-Ir ;  perhaps  the  suburb  Ribit-ir,  north  and 
northwest  of  Nineveh.       Calah  was  situated  on  the  Tigris  about 
twenty  miles  south  of  Nineveh.     It  became  the  capital  of  the  empire 
in  the  reign  of  Asshurnazirpal  (884-860)  and  so  remained  until  the 
time  of  Sargon  II. 

92 


GENESIS  10 


12.  °Rehoboth-Ir,  and  °Calah,  and  °Resen  between  Nine- 

13.  veh  and  Calah  (*  the  same  is  the  great  city  f).     And 
Mizraim  begat  °Ludim,  and  °Anamim,  and  °Lehabim, 

14.  and    °Naphtuhim,    and    °Pathrusim,    and    °Casluhim 
(°*  whence  went  forth  the  Philistines  t),  and  °Caph- 

15.  torim.     And  Canaan  begat  °Zidon  1  his  firstborn  and 

'  SV  Sidon. 

12.  Resen  is  described  as  between  Nineveh  and   Calah,    but   its 
exact  site  is  unknown.    The  parenthetical  explanation  seems  to  refer 
to  the  entire  group  of  cities,  but  it  may  be  a  marginal  note  (say)  on 
Nineveh  that  has  gotten  into  the  text  in  the  wrong  place.     See  v.  14. 
The  account  here  given  of  the  rise  of  Assyria  does  not  tally  with  the 
evidence  of  the  inscriptions,  according  to  which  Asshur,  now  Kalat 
Shergat,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Tigris  sixty  miles  below  Nineveh, 
was  its  first  capital;   but  it  is  true  that  the  country  derived  its  civiliza- 
tion from  Babylonia. 

13.  Here,  again,  the  genealogy  changes  its  form.    The  term  beget 
is  still  used.    The  objects,  however,  are  no  longer  individuals,  but 
plainly  peoples,  as  any  one  could  see  if  the  names  in  this  verse  had  been 
properly  translated  the  Ludites,  etc.    These  "  sons  "  of  Mizraim  must 
naturally  be  sought  in  or  near  Egypt,  but  they  cannot  all  be  satis- 
factorily   identified.     Ludim.    The    singular    of    this    name   occurs 
several  times,  and  usually  in  connection  with  Put ;   and  that  seems  to 
be  all  that  is  known  about  it.      See  Jer.  46  :  9.    The  Anamim,  or 
Anamites,  defy  identification.    The  Lehabim  are  supposed  to  be  the 
Libyans  west  of  Lower  Egypt.    The  various  conjectures  with  refer- 
ence to  the  Naphtuhim,  or  Naphtuhites,  are  about  equally  unsatis- 
factory. 

14.  The  Pathrusim,  or  Pathrusites,  are  doubtless  the  people'  of 
Pathros,  or  Upper  Egypt,  whose  capital  was  Thebes.     See  Jer.  44  :  i. 
The  Casluhim,  or  Casluhites,  cannot  be  definitely  located.    The  clause 
whence  went  forth  the  Philistines,  as  appears  from  Am.  9  :  7,  should 
come  at  the  end  of  the  verse.    The  Caphtorim,  or  Caphtorites,  are 
commonly  identified  with  the  Cretans.     See  i  Sam.  30  :  14;    Ezek. 
25  :  16;    Zeph.  2  :  5.    Compare,  however,  Hastings,  DB. 

15.  To  Canaan  are  given  no  fewer  than  eleven  sons.     It  is  easy, 
however,  to  see  that  only  the  first  two,  Zidon  and  Heth,  belong  to  the 
original  text.     Zidon  here  includes  not  merely  the  inhabitants  of  the 
city  of  the  same  name,  now  Sidon,  but,  as  in  i  Kgs.  11:5,  all  the  rest 
of  the  Phoenicians.      Heth  is  the  Hittites,  whose  original  home  was 
in  Cappadocia.     They  were  once  very  powerful  in  northern  Syria. 

93 


GENESIS 


1 6.  °Heth;  |  and  °the  Jebusite,  and  °the  Amorite,  and  °the 

17.  Girgashite;   and  °the  Hivite,  and  °the  Arkite,  and  °the 

18.  Sinite;  and  °the  Arvadite,  and  °the  Zemarite,  and  °the 
Hamathite :    |  and  afterward  were    Ol  the  families  *  of 

19.  the  Canaanite    spread   abroad.     And    °the    border  of 

1  Sam.  sing. 

There  they  defended  themselves,  first  against  the  Egyptians,  and  then 
against  the  Assyrians,  for  centuries.  Some  of  them  seem  to  have 
strayed  into  Palestine,  but  there  is  no  conclusive  evidence  that  they  ever 
occupied  the  country.  Some  of  them  were  among  David's  warriors, 
i  Sam.  26  :  6;  2  Sam.  11:3.  It  is  only  in  the  Priestly  narrative  that 
they  appear  as  "  the  people  of  the  land  ";  and  the  first  two  names  in 
this  verse  may  have  been  taken  from  that  source.  See  23  :  7; 
27  :  46. 

16.  This  is  one  of  a  number  of  places  where  lists  of  the  tribes  that 
originally  inhabited  Palestine  have  been  added.     See  15  :  21;    Ex. 
3:8;  etc.     Their  form  betrays  them ;  also  the  fact  that  together  they 
cover  more  territory  than  is  included  in  the  limits  described  in  v.  19. 
The  Jebusite  denotes  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  and  the 
surrounding  country.     See  2  Sam.  5  :  6  ff.     The  Amorite  sometimes 
includes  the  entire  population  of  Palestine,  as  in  15  :  6,  but  here, 
as  in  14  :  7,  it   probably  designates  a  tribe   in   the   southern  part 
of    the    country.      The    Girgashite    occupied    a     part    of    western 
Palestine,  but   the  precise   location  of   it   is  unknown.     See   Josh. 
24  :  ii. 

17.  The  Hivite  is  the  name  given  to  the  inhabitants  of  central 
Palestine,  including  those  of  Shechem,  Gibeon,  etc.     See  34  :  2  ;  Josh. 
9  :  7,  17.     These  first  four  names  occur  several  times  together ;  but  the 
rest  are  peculiar  to  this  passage  and  the  parallel  one  in  i  Chr.  i  :  15  f. 
The  Arkite  denotes  the  people  of  ancient  Arka,  the  site  of  which  is 
twelve  miles  north  of  Tripolis.     Near  it  was  Sin,  Ass.  Sianu,  whence 
the  Sinite. 

18.  The  Arvadite ;  the  people  of  Arvad,  a  very  ancient  city  on  an 
island,  now  called  Ruad,  a  little  north  of  Tripolis.     The  Zemarite 
occupied  another  ancient  city,  called  Semar,  near  Arka.    The  Hamath- 
ite ;  the  people  of  the  well-known  city  of  Hamath,  now  Kama,  on  the 
Orontes,  and  the  kingdom  of  which  it  was  the  capital.    The  last 
clause  is  the  proper  continuation  of  the  first  of  v.  15;  for  it  was  after 
Canaan  had  forgotten  Zidon  and  Heth  that  the  families  of  the  Ca- 
naanite, the  families  that  sprang  from  these  two  "  sons,"  were  spread 
abroad. 

19.  The  border  of  the  territory  occupied  by  the  Canaanite  extended 

94 


GENESIS 


the  Canaanite  was  °from  1  Zidon,  as  thou  goest  °toward 
Gerar,  unto  Gaza ;  as  thou  goest  °toward  Sodom  *  and 
Gomorrah  and  Admah  and  Zeboiim,  unto  °Lasha.f  l 

20.  These  are  the  sons  of  Ham,  after  their  families,  after  p 
their  tongues,2  in  their  lands,  in  their  nations. 

21.  And  unto  Shem,  the  father  of  all  °the  children  of  J2 
Eber,  °3  the  elder  brother  of  Japheth,3  to  him  also  were 

1  S V  Sidon,  etc. ;  Sam.  the  river  of  Egypt  unto  the  great  river,  the  river  Euphrates, 
and  unto  the  western  sea.  *  Vg.  adds,  and  after  their  generations.  •»  m.  brother  of 
Japheth  the  elder. 

from  Zidon,  on  the  northwest,  along  the  Mediterranean,  toward  Gerar, 
unto  Gaza.  Gerar  is  by  many  identified  with  Umm  el-Jerar,  six 
miles  south  of  Gaza;  but,  according  to  20  :  i,  it  was  between  Kadesh 
and  Shur,  while  26  :  22  f.  indicates  that  it  was  south  of  Rehoboth, 
i.e.,  Ruheibeh,  and  therefore  south,  or  southwest,  of  Beer-sheba.  There 
is  a  Wady  Jerur  in  this  region,  one  of  the  smaller  watercourses  that 
feed  Wady  el-Arish,  the  "  brook  of  Egypt."  SoTrumbull,  who  locates 
the  city  of  Gerar  at  el-Aujeh,  a  considerable  ruin  about  thirty  miles 
southwest  of  Beer-sheba,  and  nearly  as  far  in  a  northwesterly  direction 
from  Ayn  Kadis.  See  Trumbull,  Kadesh  Barnea,  61  ff.,  295  f.  The 
rest  of  the  verse  is  difficult,  but  it  seems  to  be  the  object  of  the  writer 
to  trace  the  corresponding  eastern  border.  If  so,  the  starting-point 
was  probably  at  the  southern  end  of  the  Dead  Sea.  Thence  it  ran 
along  the  western  shore  of  the  sea,  toward,  and  beyond,  Sodom, 
ending  at  Lasha,  probably  Laish,  afterward  called  Dan.  See  Jud.  18  : 
29.  In  the  above  interpretation  it  is  taken  for  granted  that  Sodom 
was  at  the  northern  end  of  the  sea,  this  being  the  view  that  is  best  sup- 
ported by  the  biblical  evidence.  Thus,  in  19  :  29  it  and  Gomorrah 
are  described  as  "  cities  of  the  Plain,"  the  plain  being  the  same  that 
in  15  :  10  f.  is  called  "  the  Plain  of  the  Jordan,"  and  in  Dt.  34':  3 
"the  Plain  of  Jericho."  Compare  G.  A.  Smith,  Hist.  Geog.,  etc., 
505  f.  The  remaining  names,  which  are  entirely  unnecessary,  seem  to 
have  been  borrowed  from  14  :  8  or  Dt.  29  :  23. 

20.  This  verse  corresponds  to  v.  5,  but  the  order  is  different.     See 
v.  31. 

(c)  The  children  of  Shem;  10  :  21-32.  They  have  their  portion 
between  those  of  Japheth  and  Ham. 

21.  The  children  of  Eber  ;  the  Hebrews.    This  fact  is  noted  for  the 
purpose  of  awakening  the  interest  of  the  Jewish  reader.     The  elder 
brother ;  the  one  older  than  Ham.    The  marginal  reading,  an  expe- 
dient   to   escape   the   difficulty   created   by   9  :  24,    is  clearly   inde- 
fensible. 

95 


io  :  22  GENESIS 


P   22.   children  born.  |  The  sons  of  Shem;    °Elam,  and  °As- 

23.   shur,  and  °Arpachshad,  and  °Lud,  and  °Aram.     And 

the  sons  of  Aram;    °Uz,  and  °Hul,  and  °Gether,  and 

y  24.    °Mash.1  |  And  Arpachshad  begat 2  °Shelah :   and  She- 

25.    lah  begat  °Eber.     And  unto  Eber  were  born  two  sons: 

the  name  of  the  one  was  °Peleg;   for  in  his  days  °was 

the  earth  divided;  and  his  brother's  name  was  Joktan. 

1  Gr.  Mosoch.      '  Gr.  adds,  Kenan,  and  Kenan  begat. 

22.  Elam ;    the  Elamites,  who  occupied  the  rugged  country  east  of 
the  Tigris  at  the  head  of  the  Persian  Gulf.    They  remained  a  powerful 
people  until  645  B.C.,  when  they  were  finally  subdued  by  the  Assyrians, 
who,  under  the  name  Asshur,  are  here  classified,  not  as  Hamites  (v. 
n),  but  as  Shemites.    The  name  Arpachshad  has  not  yet  been  satis- 
factorily explained  ;  but  the  facts,  that  the  lineage  of  Abraham,  who, 
according  to  n  :  31,  was  a  Chaldean,  is  traced  to  Arpachshad,  that 
the  second  half  of  the  name  comes  from  the  same  root  as  that  for  the 
Chaldeans,  and  that,  unless  the  name  includes  the  Chaldeans,  this 
most  important  of  the  Shemite  peoples  has  been  ignored,  make  it  at 
least  probable  that  they  are  so  included.     Lud  is  the  Lydians,  one  of 
the  great  powers  during  the  first  half  of  the  sixth  century  B.C.,  but 
overthrown  by  Cyrus  in  546  B.C.     By  Aram   are  meant    the  Ara- 
means,  who  at  one  time  occupied  more  or  less  completely  the  vast 
territory  extending  from  the  northern  border  of  Palestine  to  the  con- 
fines of  Armenia  and  exerted  an  influence  far  beyond  these  limits. 
Haran  was  one  of  their  centres,  but  the  seat  of  their  greatest  political 
power  was  Damascus.     Hence  in  the  Old  Testament  Aram  oftenest 
means  the  country  of  which  Damascus  was  the  capital  and  its  people. 
In    other  cases  the  general  term  is  modified  by  a  distinguishing 
addition. 

23.  The  author  first  disposes  of  Aram,  and  then  goes  back  to  Ar- 
pachshad, that  the  later  generations  which  sprang  from  him  may 
come  last.     Uz  here  represents  a  tribe  or  region  in  northwestern 
Arabia,  apparently,  according  to  Lam.  4:21,  including  Edom.     See 
Jb.   1:3,   15.     Hul    and    Gether,   also,  were   probably  in  northern 
Arabia.     Mash  was  in  the  Syrian  desert  west  of  the  Euphrates. 

24.  At  this  point  the  Priestly  genealogy  is  interrupted  by  an  ex- 
tract from  the  other,  the  first  two  verses  of  which  anticipate  1 1  :  io  ff. 
just  as  4  :  25  f.  did  5:16°.    The  rest  is  a  table  of  the  Arabian  tribes, 
which,  according  to  v.  7,  were  derived  from  Cush.    On  the  names 
Shelah  and  Eber  see  n  :  14  ff. 

25.  The  name  Peleg  is  explained  by  a  reference  to  the  time  when 
the  earth  was  divided  (palag);    viz.,  when  mankind  were  dispersed, 

96 


GENESIS 

26.  And  °Joktan  begat  °Almodad,  and  °Sheleph,  and  °Ha- 

27.  zarmaveth,  and  °Jerah;    and  °Hadoram,  and  °Uzal,1 

28.  and  °Diklah;  2  and  °Obal,2  and  °Abimael,  and  °Sheba; 

29.  and  °Ophir,  and  Havilah,  and  Jobab:    all  these  were 

30.  the  sons  of   Joktan.     And   their  dwelling  was  from 
°Mesha,  °as  thou  goest  toward  °Sephar,3  the  mountain  4 

*  Sam.  Ezal.        *  Sam.  and  Ebal;    Gr.  om.       3  Syr.    Sepharvaim.       *  m.  hill 
country. 

as  described  in  1 1  :  i  ff.     For  the  continuation  of  the  line  from  Peleg, 
see  ii  :  18  ff. 

26.  Joktan,  the  progenitor  of  the  tribes  of  the  Arabian  peninsula, 
is  credited  with  thirteen,  or,  according  to  the  Greek  Version,  twelve 
sons.     Some  of  them  cannot  be  located  with  any  precision;    for  ex- 
ample, Almodad.     Sheleph  is  perhaps  another  form  of  Sulaf  or  Salif, 
the  name  of  a  tribe  in  Yemen.     Hazarmaveth  is  clearly  Hadramaut, 
the  capital  of  which,  Sabtah,  occurred  in  v.  7  as  one  of  the  sons  of  Cush. 
In  the  same  region,  according  to  Glaser,  was  Jerah. 

27.  The  same  traveller   identifies  Hadoram  with  Dauram,  near 
Sana,  but  in  neither  case  are  his  reasons  convincing.     Uzal,  according 
to  the  Arab  geographers,  is  Sana,  the  capital  of  Yemen.     See  Ezek. 
27  :  19.     Diklah  has  not  been  discovered. 

28.  The  name  Obal  is  the  one  omitted  by  the  Greek  Version,  and, 
it  may  well  be,  correctly,  since  without  it  the  number  of  Joktan's  sons 
would  be  reduced  to  twelve,  and  twelve  was  a  favorite  number  in  the 
narrative  to  which  this  part  of  the  genealogy  belonged.     See  25  :  2  ff., 
13  ff.     A  similar  name  was  found  by  Glaser  west  of  Yemen,  but  there 
is  no  certainty  about  the  identification.    Abimael ;  unknown.     Sheba, 
as  in  v.  7,  is  the  Sabeans ;    but  in  the  other  passage  they  are  derived 
from  Cush. 

29.  The  location  of  Ophir  is  disputed ;    but  since  the  preceding 
names,  so  far  as  they  have  been  identified,  are  Arabian,  and,  according 
to  v.  30,  the  entire  family  of  Joktan  occupied  contiguous  territory, 
it  is  fair  to  infer  that  Ophir,  too,  was  in  Arabia,  probably,  as  Glaser 
concludes,  on  the  shore  of  the  Persian  Gulf.    This  view  is  not  forbidden 
by  i  Kgs.  9  :  26  ff.,  and  10  :  22  ;   for,  while  the  former  of  these  pas- 
sages says  that  the  fleet  fitted  out  by  Solomon  and  Hiram  went  to 
Ophir,  it  does  not  give  the  length  of  the  voyage,  and  although  the 
latter  gives  the  length  of  the  voyage,  it  does  not  say  that  Ophir  was  its 
destination. 

30.  Mesha,  probably  the  Mash  of  v.  23.     As  thou  goest  toward, 
here  as  far  as.      Sephar,  a  town  on  the  southern  coast,  near  a  moun- 
tain, the  mountain  of  the  east,  in  eastern  Hadramaut.    In  other  words, 

H  97 


GENESIS 

P  31.  of  the  east.  These  are  °the  sons  of  Shem,  after  their 
families,  after  their  tongues,  in  their  lands,  after  their 
nations. 

32.  These  are  the  families  of  °the  sons  of  Noah,  °after 
their  generations,1  °in  their  nations ;  and  of  these  °were 
the  nations 2  divided  in  the  earth  °af ter  the  flood. 

1  Syr.  adds,  after  their  families.       *  Sam.  isles  of  the  nations. 

the  sons  of  Joktan  occupied  the  entire  Arabian  peninsula.  Compare 
v.  7,  where  much,  if  not  all,  of  this  territory  is  assigned  to  the  sons 
of  Gush. 

31.  The  sons  of  Shem  ;  not  all  that  have  been  named  in  this  para- 
graph, but,  since  this  verse  is  from  the  Priestly  document,  only  those 
of  vs.  22  f. 

This  verse  is  a  conclusion  to  the  chapter  as  a  whole,  corresponding 
to  the  title  of  v.  i. 

32.  The  sons  of  Noah ;  not  all  that  have  been  named  in  the  chap- 
ter, but  those  of  the  Priestly  portions;    viz.,  vs.  1-7,  20,  22  f.     After 
their  generations  ;  according  to  their  derivation.     In  their  nations ; 
according    to    their    distribution.     The  nations    were    divided ;    dis- 
seminated, and  thus  the  earth  was  repeopled  by  the  offspring  of  a 
single  pair  after  the  flood.     For  a  tabular  view  of  the  entire  scheme, 
see  the  Appendix,  Note  B. 

The  chapter,  it  is  clear,  does  not  present  a  complete  map  of  the 
world  at  the  time  when  it  was  written,  but  only  that  part  of  it  with 
which  the  Hebrews  were  more  or  less  familiar,  viz.,  the  part  extending 
north  and  south  from  the  Black  Sea  to  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  east  and 
west  fom  the  sixtieth  parallel  to  the  Atlantic.  Secondly,  it  is  not  a 
homogeneous  and  consistent  presentation  of  the  subject  which  it 
covers,  but  consists  of  a  brief  outline  by  the  Priestly  writer,  which  has 
been  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  details  from  two  or  three  other  sources 
that  cannot  be  harmonized  with  the  present  context.  Thirdly, 
there  are  various  instances  in  which,  as  has  been  shown,  peoples  of 
different  types  are  represented  as  affiliated.  In  view  of  these  facts  it 
is  plain  that  the  chapter  cannot  therefore  be  regarded  as  strictly 
correct  from  the  historical  standpoint.  Still  it  has  its  value ;  it  is  a 
remarkable  proof  of  the  belief  of  the  Hebrews  in  the  unity  of  the  race, 
and  of  their  final  recognition  of  the  fact  that  variations  in  language 
arise  from  dispersion,  and  not  vice  versa.  See  n  :  i  ff. 

(2)    The  dispersal  of  mankind,  11:1-9 

The  first  men,  while  still  one  family,  come  in  their  wanderings  to 
Shinar,  where  they  undertake  to  build  a  city  and  a  great  tower ;  but 

98 


GENESIS  ii  :  5 

11.       And  the  whole  earth  was  of  °one  language  and  of  °one  J 

2.  speech.     And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  journeyed  °east,1 
that  they  found  a  plain  in  °the  land  of  Shinar2;    and 

3.  they  dwelt  there.     And  they  said  one  to  another,  3  Go 
to,3  °let  us  make  brick,  and    °burn  them  throughly.4 
And  they  had  brick  for  stone,  and  °slime  5  had  they  for 

4.  mortar.     And  they  said,  3  Go  to,3  let  us  build  us  °a  city, 
and  °a  tower,  whose  top  may  reach  unto  heaven,  and 
°let  us  make  us  a  name;    °lest  we  be  scattered  abroad 

5.  upon  the  face  of  the  whole  earth.     And  °the  LORD 
came  down  to  see  the  city  and  the  tower,  which  the 

1  m.  in  the  east.      *  Tar.  Babel.      3  SV  Come.      *  SV  thoroughly,     s  m.  bitumen. 

Yahweh,  seeing  their  presumption,  confuses  their  speech  and  thus 
scatters  them  over  the  earth.    The  source  is  J. 

1.  One  language;    lit.   one  lip,  one  form  of  speech.     One  speech. 
Better,  the  same  words,  the  same  vocabulary. 

2.  East.     The  form  of  expression  is  the  same  in  the  original  as  in 
2  :  8  and  3  :  24.    There  is  therefore  little  ground  for  prcf  erring  from 
the  east,  or  the  marginal  alternative  in  the  east.     If,  however,  in  mov- 
ing eastward,  they  came  to  the  land  of  Shinar,  Babylonia,  they  must 
have  started  from  northern  Arabia,  and  not  from  Ararat.     In  other 
words,  this  passage,  which  is  an  extract  from  the  same  narrative  as  the 
story  of  Eden,  had,  as  has  already  been  remarked,  no  account  of  the 
Flood. 

3.  Let  us  make  brick ;  this  being  the  material  most  readily  obtain- 
able in  that  region.    The  bricks  were  of  two  kinds.    The  most  com- 
mon were  simply  dried  in  the  sun ;  but,  when  durability  was  desired, 
the  custom  was  to  burn  them  throughly.     Slime.     Better,  as  in  the 
margin,  bitumen.     Large  quantities  of  it  are  found  at  Hit,  on  the  river 
above  the  site  of  Babylon. 

4.  A  city;  with  a  protecting  wall.     A  tower.     A  tower,  or,  as  it 
was  called,  a  ziggurat,  was  one  of  the  principal  features  of  the  cities  of 
Babylonia.     It  was  often  of  considerable  height.     The  one  at  Agade 
bore  the  name,  "The  house  reaching  to  heaven."    They  were  erected 
in  honor  of  the  gods.     The  motive  here  given  is  simple  vanity :  let  us 
make  us  a  name.     The  last  clause,  lest  we  be  scattered  abroad,  gives 
the  motive  for  building  the  city,  which  is  a  more  worthy  one. 

5.  The  LORD  came  down;  a  strongly  anthropomorphic  expression. 
See  18  :  21. 

99 


Ti:6  GENESIS 


6.  children  of  men  1  builded.     And  °the  LORD  said,  Be- 
hold, they  are  one  people,  and  they  have  all  one  lan- 
guage;   and  this  is  °what  they  begin  to  do:    and  now 
°nothing  will  be  withholden  from  them,  which  they 

7.  purpose  to  do.    2  Go  to,2  °let  us  go  down,  and  there 
confound  their  language,   that  they  may  not  under- 

8.  stand  one  another's  speech.     So  the  LORD  scattered 
them  abroad  from  thence  upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth : 

9.  and  they  left  off  3  to  build  3  the  city.4    Therefore  was 
the  name  of  it  called  °Babel;   because  the  LORD  did 
there  confound  the  language   of  all  the  earth:    and 
from  thence  did  the  LORD  scatter  them  abroad  upon 
the  face  of  all  the  earth. 

2.    The  Branch  of  S hem,  n  :  10-26 

P   10.       These  are  the  generations  of  Shem.     Shem  was  °an 
hundred  years  old,  and  begat  Arpachshad  °*  two  years 

1  Vg.  Adam.      *  SV  Come.       3  SV  building.       •*  Sam.  adds,  and  the  tower. 

6.  The  LORD  said ;  on  his  return,  in  council  with  his  angels.     What 
they  begin  to  do  ;  their  first  undertaking.     Nothing  will  be  withholden 
from  them ;  be  too  difficult  for  them  to  undertake  or  accomplish. 

7.  Let  us  go  down.     See  i  :  26.    The  last  clause  must  not  be  taken 
too  literally ;  the  writer  surely  did  not  intend  to  represent  Yahweh  as 
proposing  to  make  each  individual  unintelligible  to  every  other. 

8.  Supply  in  thought.  So  the  Lord  went  down,  and  confounded  their 
language,  at  the  beginning  of  the  verse. 

9.  The  name  Babel  is  the  Hebrew  form  of  the  Babylonian  Bab-ili, 
Gate  of  God ;  but  it  resembles  in  sound  the  Hebrew  verb  babal,  mean- 
ing confound.    The  writer  saw  the  alliteration  and  noted  it. 

The  whole  story,  evidently  a  legend,  was  probably  suggested  by 
the  great  tower  of  the  temple  of  Marduk  at  Babylon,  which  long  lay 
in  ruins,  but  was  finally  rebuilt  in  part  by  Nabopolassar  (625-604) 
and  completed  by  his  son  Nebuchadrezzar.  It  had  seven  receding 
stages,  was  three  hundred  feet  square  at  the  base  and  three  hundred 
feet  high,  and  was  called  "The  house  of  the  foundation  of  heaven." 

This  genealogy  follows  the  pattern  of  that  in  chapter  5,  except  that 
in  the  received  text  it  has  only  nine  generations,  and  omits  the  state- 


GENESIS  II  :  17 


11.  after  the  flood  f :  and  Shem  lived  after  he  begat  Arpach- 
shad  five  hundred  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters.1 

12.  And  Arpachshad  lived  2  five  and  thirty 2  years,  and  begat 

13.  Shelah  3:  and  Arpachshad  lived  after  he  begat  Shelah  3 
4  four  hundred  and  three4  years,  and  begat  sons  and 

14.  daughters.5    And  Shelah  lived  thirty  years,  and  begat 

15.  Eber:  and  Shelah  lived  after  he  begat  Eber  6four  hun- 
dred and  three  6  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters. 

1 6.  And  Eber  lived  four  and  thirty  years,  and  begat  Peleg: 

17.  and  Eber  lived  after  he  begat  Peleg  °7  four  hundred  and 

1  Sam.  adds  in  each  case,  and  all  the  days  of  .  .  .  were  .  .  .,  and  he  died;  Gr.  in 
each  case,  and  he  died.  a  Sam.  Gr.  add  a  hundred  from  Arpachshad  to  Serug  in- 
clusive to  the  first  period.  *  Gr.  Kenan.  •*  Sam.  deducts  a  hundred  from  the  second 
period  from  Arpachshad  to  Serug,  except  for  Eber;  Gr.  four  hundred  and  thirty. 
8  Gr.  adds,  and  Kenan  lived  a  hundred  and  thirty  years,  and  begat  Shelah.  A  nd  Kenan 
lived  after  he  begat  Shelah  three  hundred  and  thirty  years  and  begat  sons  and  daughters; 
and  he  died.  6  Gr.  Three  hundred  and  thirty.  'Sam.  two  hundred  and  seventy; 
Gr.  three  hundred  and  seventy. 

ment  of  the  total  number  of  the  years  lived.  The  first  omission  is 
supplied  by  the  Greek  Version,  and  the  second  in  the  Samaritan  text. 

10.  The  natural  interpretation  of  5  :  32  is  that  Shem  was  born  in 
Noah's  five  hundredth  year.  He  must,  then,  have  been  an  hundred 
years  old  when  his  father  was  six  hundred,  i.e.,  in  the  year  in  which 
the  Flood  took  place,  and  not  two  years  after.  The  discrepancy  is 
explained  by  supposing  that  this  phrase  is  a  correction  by  some  one 
who  could  not  allow  that  children  were  born  during  the  Flood.  A 
more  serious  difficulty  is,  that  Arpachshad  here  seems  to  be  Shem's 
oldest  son,  while  in  10  :  22  he  is  the  third  mentioned.  Perhaps 
in  the  latter  case  the  order  was  not  intended  to  be  the  natural  one.  • 

12.  On  the  variations  of  the  Samaritan  text  and  the  Greek  Version, 
see  the  Appendix.  The  received  text  is  almost  always  the  one  to  be 
preferred.  The  insertion  of  another  generation  between  Arpachshad 
and  Shelah  is  plainly  a  correction  for  the  purpose  of  making  the 
number  ten  in  this  table  as  in  that  of  chapter  5.  Note  also  that  the 
numbers  for  Kenan  are  the  same  as  those  for  Shelah. 

17.  Four  hundred  and  thirty  years.  This  is  the  only  case  in  which 
a  son's  second  period,  and  consequently  his  total,  is  greater  than  that 
of  his  father.  There  is  little  doubt,  therefore,  that  the  reading  here 
should  be  three  hundred  and  seventy,  as  in  the  Greek  Version.  Per- 
haps it  is  significant  that  the  sixty  years,  which  do  not  affect  the  chro- 
nology of  the  period,  are  added  to  the  life  of  the  patriarch  who  is 
supposed  to  have  given  their  name  to  the  Hebrew  people. 

101 


GENESIS 


1 8.  thirty  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters.    And  Pe- 

19.  leg  lived  thirty  years,  and  begat  Reu:    and  Peleg  lived 
after  he  begat  Reu  °two  hundred  and  nine  years,  and 

20.  begat  sons  and  daughters.    And  Reu  lived  two  and 

21.  thirty  years,  and  begat  Serug:   and  Reu  lived  after  he 
begat  Serug  two  hundred  and  seven  years,  and  begat 

22.  sons  and  daughters.     And  Serug  lived  thirty  years,  and 

23.  begat  Nahor:    and  Serug  lived  after  he  begat  Nahor 

24.  two  hundred  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters.     And 
Nahor  lived  °nine  and  twenty  1  years,  and  begat  Terah : 

25.  and  Nahor  lived  after  he  begat  Terah  2  an  °hundred  and 
26-   nineteen 2  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters.     And 

Terah  lived  seventy 3  years,  and  begat  Abram,  Nahor, 
and  Haran. 

3.    The  Family  of  Terah,  n  :  27-32 

p   27.       Now  these  are  the  generations  of  Terah.    Terah  begat 
°Abram,  Nahor,  and  Haran;   and  Haran  begat  Lot.  | 

1  Sam.  Gr.  seventy.  *  Sam.  nine  and  sixty;  Gr.  a  hundred  nine  and  twenty. 
3  Syr.  five  and  seventy. 

19.  Two  hundred  and  nine.  In  this  and  the  next  two  cases  the 
Greek  Version,  although  it  adds  a  hundred  to  the  first,  agrees  with 
the  received  text  on  the  length  of  the  second  period. 

24.  Nine  and  twenty  years.     In  this  case  the  Samaritans  and  the 
Greek  Version  add  only  fifty  to  the  original  number. 

25.  In  this,  as  in  previous  cases,  the  Samaritans  deduct  the  number 
added  to  the  first  period  from  the  second,  but  the  Greek  Version  adds 
ten  to  the  hundred  and  nineteen  of  the  received  text. 

The  divergences  between  the  received  text,  the  Samaritan  recension, 
and  the  Greek  Version  have  been  noted  in  the  comments  or  among 
the  various  readings.  For  a  tabular  view  of  them,  see  the  Appendix, 
Note  C. 

Haran  dies  in  Ur,  and  Abram  and  Nahor  marry;  after  which  Terah 
migrates  with  Abram  and  Lot,  the  son  of  Haran,  to  the  city  of  Haran. 
The  paragraph  is  of  mixed,  Priestly  and  Judean,  origin. 

27.  Abram,  the  name  by  which  the  eldest  son  of  Terah  is  called  as 

102 


GENESIS 


28.  And  Haran  died  01  in  the  presence  of 1  his  father  Terah  J 
in  °the  land  of  his  nativity,  °*  in  Ur  of  the  Chaldees.f 
And  Abram  and  Nahor  took  them  wives :  the  name  of 

29.  Abram's  wife  was    °Sarai;    and  the  name  of  Nahor's 
wife  °Milcah,  the  daughter  of  °Haran,  the  father  of  Mil- 

30.  cah,  and  the  father  of  °Iscah.     And  Sarai  was  °barren; 

31.  she  had  no  child.  |  And  Terah  took  Abram  his  son,   P 
and  Lot  the  son  of  Haran,  his  son's  son,  and  Sarai 2  his 
daughter  3  in  law,  4  his  son  Abram's  wife  4 ;  and  °5  they 
went  forth  with  them  5  from  °Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  to  go 
into  the  land  of  Canaan;   and  they  came  unto  °Haran, 

32.  and  dwelt  there.     And  the  days  of  Terah  6  were  *7  two 
hundred  f  and  five  7  years :   and  Terah  died  in  Haran. 

1  SV  before;  Syr.  during  the  life  of.  *  Sam.  adds,  and  Milcah.  3  Sam.  plu. 
«  Sam.  the  wife  of  his  sons  Abram  and  Nahor.  s  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  he  brought  them 
forth;  Syr.  he  went  forth  with  them.  6  Gr.  adds,  in  Haran.  'Sam.  a  hundred 
five  and  forty. 

far  as  17  :  5,  being  interpreted,  means  Exalted  father.  The  similar 
name,  Abiram,  My  father  is  exalted,  was  used  in  Babylonia  at  least 
two  thousand  years  B.C. 

28.  In  the  presence  of  his  father ;  not  exactly  before  his  father  died, 
but,  as  the  Syriac  Version  puts  it,  while  his  father  was  yet  alive.     The 
land  of  his  nativity  would,  of  course,  be  that  of  Abraham's.    That, 
however,  according  to  the  Judean  writer,  to  whom  this  verse  as  a 
whole  must  be  assigned,  was  Haran,  or  Charan,  in  Aram-naharaim. 
See  24  :  4,  10  ;  29  :  4.    On  the  other  hand,  the  Priestly  author  taught 
that  Abram's  original  home  was  Ur.     See  v.  31.     When,  therefore,  the 
compiler  put  this  paragraph  together,  he  inserted  here   the  phrase 
Ur  of  the  Chaldees  to  bring  the  two  into  harmony. 

29.  Sarai.     According  to  20  :  12  (E),  she  was  Abram's  half  sister. 
From  17:15  onward  she  is  called  Sarah.     Milcah,  the  wife  of  Nahor, 
is  mentioned  further  in  22  :  20  ff.  and  24  :  15,  24,  but  Iscah  appears 
only  in  this  passage.    The  peculiar  way  in  which  their  father  Haran 
is  here  described  suggests  the  query  whether  he  is  the  same  as  Haran 
the  younger  brother  of  Abram. 

30.  The  fact  that  Sarai  was  barren  here  stands  unrelated,  but  it 
has  important  bearings  in  the  later  history  of  the  family.     See  16  : 
i  ff. 

31.  This  verse  continues  v.  27.     They  went  forth  with  them  is 
impossible.     Read,  therefore,  either,    with   the   Syriac   Version,   he 

103 


GENESIS 


went  forth  with  them,  or,  with  the  Samaritans  and  the  Greek  Version, 
he  brought  them  forth.  Observe  that  no  mention  is  made  of  Nahor. 
Yet,  in  24  :  10  Haran  is  called  "  the  city  of  Nahor."  The  explanation 
is  the  same  as  in  the  case  of  Abram.  Chapter  25  is  from  the  Judean, 
this  verse  from  the  Priestly  narrative.  Here  Nahor  is  left  at  Ur  be- 
cause the  author  in  10  :  22  has  made  Aram,  the  people  about  Haran, 
the  immediate  offspring  of  Shem.  See  also  25  :  20  and  28  :  5,  where 
Bethuel  is  not  a  son  of  Nahor,  but  an  Aramean.  Ur  of  the  Chaldees 
is  generally  identified  with  the  Uru  of  the  Babylonian  inscriptions,  a 
very  ancient  city  the  ruins  of  which  have  been  discovered  at  el- 
Mukayyav,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Euphrates,  about  a  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  southeast  of  Babylon.  The  reason  for  the  migration  is 
not  given.  For  the  traditional  explanation,  see  Judith  5:66°. 
Haran;  now  Harran,  on  the  Belik,  a  branch  of  the  Euphrates,  in 
northern  Mesopotamia.  It  was  a  great  commercial  centre ;  also,  like 
Ur,  a  seat  of  the  worship  of  the  moon-god  Sin.  The  date  of  Terah's 
removal  is  not  -noted,  but  the  received  text  says  that  he  died  at  the  age 
of  two  hundred  and  five  years.  The  Samaritans,  however,  read  a 
hundred  five  and  forty,  thus  cutting  his  life  a  little  short  of  the  length 
of  his  father's  and  bringing  his  death  into  the  same  year  with  the  de- 
parture of  Abram  from  Haran  ;  and  this  is  probably  the  original  read- 
ing. So  Acts  7  :  4.  The  larger  number  was  copied  from  the  Greek 
Version,  where  sixty  additional  years  are  also  given  to  Nahor. 


104 


II.   THE  PATRIARCHAL  PERIOD,  CHS.  12-50 

i.   Abraham  and  his  Family,  12  :  1-25  :  18 

12.       Now  the  LORD  said  unto  Abram,  Get  thee  out  of  °thy  J    12 

country,  and  from  thy  kindred,  and  from  °thy  father's 
2.   house,  unto  the  land  that  I  will  shew  thee:  and  °I  will 

In  the  last  chapter  the  attention  of  the  reader  was  gradually  with- 
drawn from  the  rest  of  the  world  and  focussed  upon  a  little  band  of 
emigrants  consisting,  apparently,  of  only  four  persons.  Finally,  the 
aged  leader  was  removed,  and  Abram,  Sarai,  and  Lot  were  left  waiting 
for  divine  instruction  with  reference  to  their  further  rftovements.  The 
rest  of  the  book  is  a  rehearsal  of  the  experiences  of  Abram  and  Sarai, 
first  with  and  then  without  Lot,  of  their  son  Isaac  and  his  family, 
and  finally  of  their  grandson  Jacob  and  the  great  company,  sprung 
from  his  loins,  that  followed  him  into  Egypt. 

The  first  division  of  this  part  (12  :  1-25:18)  must  originally  have 
had  a  title,  viz.,  These  are  the  generations  of  Abram,  to  correspond  to 
25  :  19  and  37  :  2.  It  consists  of  a  variety  of  incidents,  which  may  be 
arranged  in  five  groups,  and  an  appendix  containing  a  brief  account 
of  the  family  of  Ishmael.  In  the  first  of  these  groups  are  described 
Abram's 

(i)    First  adventures  in  Canaan,  chs.  12-14 

The  story  begins  with  his 

(a)  Migration  from  the  East,  12  :  1-9.  At  the  command  of 
Yahweh,  Abram  leaves  Haran  and,  arrived  in  Canaan,  halts,  first  at 
Shechem  and  then  at  Bethel,  building  an  altar  at  each  of  these 
places  and  receiving  renewed  assurances  of  the  divine  favor.  The 
text  is  partly  from  the  Judean  and  partly  from  the  Priestly  narrative. 

1.  Thy  country ;  Haran.     Thy  father's  house ;  the  family  to  which 
he  belonged.     It  does  not  imply  that  his  father  was  still  alive.     See 
24  :  38,  where  his  servant  quotes  him  as  using  the  same  expression 
many  years  later.     It  does,  however,  imply  that  there  were  some  to 
be  left  behind,  viz.,  Nahor  and  his  family.      See  22  :  20  ff.     Accord- 
ing to  the  Priestly  writer  this  would  not  be  the  case.     He  left  Nahor 
at  Ur. 

2.  Yahweh  does  not  tell  Abram  where  he  is  to  go,  but  he  gives  him 
a  promise  that  would  take  him  anywhere:  I  will  make  of  thee  a  great 

105 


12  :  3  GENESIS 


make  of  thee  a  great  nation,  and  I  will  bless  thee,  and 

3.  make  thy  name  great;   and  be  thou  °a  blessing1:   and 
I  will  bless  °them  that  bless  thee,  and  °2  him  that  curs- 
eth  2  thee  I  will  curse :  and  in  thee 3o  shall  all  the  families 

4.  of  the  earth  be  blessed.     So  Abram  went,4  as  the  LORD 
had  spoken  unto  him ;  and  °Lot  went  with  him :  |  and 
Abram  was  seventy  and  five  years  old  when  he  de- 

5. .  parted  out  of  Haran.     And  Abram  took  Sarai  his  wife, 
and  Lot  his  brother's  son,  and  all  their  substance  that 
they  had  gathered,  and  5  the  souls  5  that  they  had  gotten, 
in  Haran;   and  they  went  forth  °to  go  into  the  land  of 
Canaan;  |  and  into  the  land  of  Canaan  they  came. 

6.   And  Abram  passed  through  the  land  unto  °the  place  of 

/ 

1  Gr.  Vg.  Tar.  blessed.      a  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  them  that  curse.      3  Syr.  adds,  and 
in  thy  seed.       •*  Syr.  did.      s  Gr.  all  the  souls. 

nation.  This  promise  appears  in  all  the  sources  (15  :  5  [E] ;  17:21!. 
[P]);  but  it  is  especially  emphasized  in  various  editorial  additions. 
See  13  :  16  ;  18  :  18  ;  22  :  17  ;  etc.  A  blessing;  not  in  the  sense  of 
being  a  source  of  advantage  to  others,  but  in  that  of  being  a  recognized 
example  of  superlative  happiness.  See  Zech.  8  :  13. 

3.  Them  that  bless  thee ;  those  who  wish  him  and  his  descendants 
well  and  rejoice  in  their  prosperity.     Him  that  curseth.     Better,  with 
the  ancient  authorities,  them  that  curse.     Observe  that  the  writer's 
thought  is  still  fixed  on  Abram.     It  is  most  natural,  therefore,  to  ex- 
pect in  the  final  clause,  not,  shall  be  blessed,  but,  as  most  modern  exe- 
getes  render,  shall  bless  themselves.     In  other  words,  as  in  v.  2,  Yahweh 
promises  that  all  nations  shall  recognize  the  felicity  of  Abram  and  his 
descendants  and  gauge  their  own  condition  and  aspirations  by  it. 
See  48  :  20;    Ps.  72  :  17. 

4.  The  first  part  of  the  Judean  account  of  the  migration  of  Abram 
closes  with  the  statement  that  Lot  went  with  him.    The  date,  which  is 
from  the  Priestly  narrative,  seems  to  have  been  transposed.     See  v.  5. 

5.  To  go  into  the  land  of  Canaan.     Here  belongs  the  date  now  found 
in  v.  4.     In  the  last  clause  the  rendering  is  misleading.    There  is  no 
emphasis  on  the  destination.     It  reads  simply,  and  they  came  into 
the  land  of  Canaan,  and,  so  read,  it  is  the  natural  continuation  of  the 
Judean  narrative  from  the  point  where  it  left  off  in  v.  4. 

6.  The  place  of  Shechem.    The  word  here  rendered  place  some- 
times means  site.     If  so  interpreted  here,  it  would  imply  that,  when 

1 06 


GENESIS  12  :  8 


Shechem,  unto  °the  oak  x  of  Moreh.     And  °the  Canaan- 

7.  ite  was  then  in  the  land.      And  the  LORD  appeared 
unto  Abram,  and  said,  °Unto  thy  seed  will  I  give  this 
land:    and  there  °builded  he  an  altar  unto  the  LORD, 

8.  who  appeared  unto  him.     And  he  removed  from  thence 
unto  °the  mountain  on  the  east  of  Beth-el,  and  pitched 
his  tent,  having  Beth-el  on  the  west,  and  °Ai  on  the  east : 

1  m.  terebinth. 

Abram  passed  that  way,  the  city  of  Shechem  did  not  exist.  The 
addition  of  the  explanatory  phrase,  the  oak  of  Moreh,  or,  the  terebinth 
of  the  teacher,  indicates  that  in  this  case  it  means  a  local  sanctua'ry. 
See  Dt.  12  :  2  f.  It  was  not  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  city, 
but,  according  to  tradition,  more  than  half  a  mile  east  of  it,  where 
the  village  of  Belata  is  now  situated.  Shechem,  thirty  miles  north  of 
Jerusalem,  was  one  of  the  most  important  cities  in  ancient  Palestine. 
Its  central  location  between  the  twin  mountains  Ebal  and  Gerizim, 
as  well  as  the  popularity  of  its  oracle  and  the  sanctuary  connected 
therewith,  made  it  a  favorite  place  for  great  meetings.  There  the 
tribes  twice  assembled  under  Joshua  (Josh.  8  :  30  ff.;  24  :  i  ff.), 
and  there,  when  they  went  to  crown  Rehoboam,  occurred  the  great 
rupture  between  the  northern  and  the  southern  tribes.  See  i  Kgs. 
12  :  i  ff.  It  is  still,  under  the  name  Nabulus  (Flavia  Neapolis),  a 
thriving  place  of  about  25,000  inhabitants.  The  Canaanite  is  the 
term  used  by  the  Judean  narrative  for  the  original  inhabitants  of  Pal- 
estine. See  9  :  25.  The  country  was  already  occupied  by  them 
when  Abram  arrived.  In  fact,  they  had  been  there  for  centuries. 

7.  Although  the  land  was  already  occupied,  and  there  was  no  pros- 
pect of  its  abandonment  by  the  inhabitants,  Yahweh  said,  Unto  thy 
seed  will  I  give  this  land.     He  builded  an  altar,  thus  testifying  his  grati- 
tude to  Yahweh  and  sanctifying  the  place  for  all  time  in  the  estimation 
of  his  descendants.     See  Josh.  20  :  7. 

8.  Having  thus,  in  a  sense,  taken  possession  of  one  of  the  principal 
Canaanite  sanctuaries,   Abram   proceeded   southward   about   twenty 
miles  and  made  his  second  halt  at  the  mountain  on  the  east  of  the  place 
which,  at  that  time,  according  to  28  :  19,  was  called  Luz,  and  was  first 
named  Beth-el  many  years  later  by  Jacob.     The  mountain  in  question 
is  probably  the  hill  to  the  east  of  the  modern  village  of  Beitin,  on  which 
are  the  ruins  of  a  Christian  church,  and  from  which  there  is  a  wide 
prospect,  including  two  or  three  sites  where  different  authorities  have 
sought  Ai.     Ai  is  most  plausibly  identified  with  Hayan,  a  little  over 
two  miles  southeast  of  Bethel.     See  Is.  10  :  28, 

107 


GENESIS 


and  there  he  builded  an  altar  unto  the  LORD,  and  called 
R     9.   upon  the  name  of  the  LORD.  |  And  Abram  journeyed, 

going  on  still 1  toward  °the  South.1 
J   10.       And  there  was  °a  famine  in  the  land:    and  Abram 

°went  down   into  Egypt  °to   sojourn  there;    for   the 
ii.   famine  was  sore  in  the  land.     And  it  came  to  pass, 

1  Gr.  in  the  desert. 

9.  This  verse  is  an  editorial  addition,  by  which,  with  the  help  of 
13  :  i,  the  story  in  vs.  10  ff.  was  attached  to  its  present  context.     The 
South  is  here  the  comparatively  waterless  region  south  of  Hebron  in 
which  Beer-sheba  was  situated.     See  13  :  i. 

There  is  nothing  incredible  in  the  migration  of  Abram.  Centuries 
before  he  can  have  lived  Canaan  was  a  dependency  of  one  or  another 
king  in  Babylonia.  When  the  Elamites  conquered  the  latter  country 
they  also  secured  dominion  over  the  former,  and  when  Hammurabi 
overthrew  the  Elamites  he  became  the  ruler  of  the  West.  At  that 
time  Canaan  was  occupied,  to  some  extent  at  least,  by  the  branch  of 
Shemites  to  which  this  great  king  belonged,  as  is  indicated  by  names 
that  have  been  preserved.  Thus,  when  Sanehat,  an  Egyptian  prince, 
fled  to  that  country,  he  found  refuge  with  a  chief  whose  name,  Ammi- 
anshi,  belongs  to  the  same  class  as  those  of  Ammi-ditana  and  Ammi- 
saduga,  two  of  Hammurabi's  successors.  It  must  therefore,  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  have  been  comparatively  easy  during  this 
whole  period  to  travel  from  Haran  to  any  part  of  Canaan,  and  many 
must  have  made  the  journey. 

(b)  A  visit  to  Egypt,  12  :  10-20.  Abram,  on  a  visit  to  Egypt, 
persuades  Sarai,  for  his  safety,  to  represent  herself  as  his  sister ;  there- 
fore Pharaoh,  hearing  of  her  beauty,  takes  her  for  a  wife,  and  restores 
her  only  after  being  plagued  by  Yahweh  on  her  account.  The  story 
is  from  the  Judean  narrative,  but  it  was  hardly  a  part  of  the  original 
work. 

10.  A  famine  in  the  land ;  not  an  infrequent  occurrence.     See  42  : 
i  ff.;  2  Sam.  21  :  i  ff.;  etc.     Abram,  instead  of  sending  thither  for 
grain,  as  Jacob  did,  went  down  from  the  elevated  region,  from  2000  to 
2500  feet  above  the  sea,  where  he  had  lived,  into  Egypt.     It  is  implied 
that  intercourse  between  Canaan  and  Egypt  was  constant  and  not  very 
difficult.    That  this  was  the  case  is  shown  in  a  picture  at  Beni  Hasan, 
in  which  a  company  of  thirty-seven  Shemites  are  represented  as  being 
received  by  an  Egyptian  governor  under  Usertesen  II.     To  sojourn 
there;   temporarily.     He  had  no  thought  of  forfeiting  the  Promised 
Land. 

1 08 


GENESIS  12  :  15 


when  he  was  come  near  to  enter  into  Egypt,  that  he  said 
unto  Sarai  his  wife,  Behold  now,  I  know  that  °thou  art 

12.  a  fair  woman  to  look  upon:  and  it  shall  come  to  pass, 
°when  the  Egyptians  shall  see  thee,  that  they  shall 1 
say,  This  is  his  wife :  and  they  will  kill  me,  but  they 

13.  will  save  thee  alive.     °Say,  I  pray  thee,  2  thou  art  my2 
sister:    °that  it  may  be  well  with  me  for  thy  sake,  and 

14.  that  my  soul  may  live  because  of  thee.     And  it  came  to 
pass,  that,  when  Abram  was  come  into  Egypt,   °the 

15.  Egyptians  beheld  the  woman  that  she  was  very  fair.    And 
the  princes  of  °Pharaoh  saw  her,  and  praised  her  to 
Pharaoh:   and  °the  woman  was  taken  into  Pharaoh's 

•  SV  will.       •  Gr.  Syr.  I  am  his. 

11.  Thou  art  a  fair  woman.     Yet,  from  17  :  17  it  appears  that  she 
was  sixty-five  years  of  age.    That  passage,  however,  it  will  be  found,  is 
from  another  author  (P),  who  intentionally  omits  incidents  of    the 
kind  here  given.     There  is  therefore  no  necessity  for  believing  that 
the  writer  in  this  passage  intended  to  represent  Sarai  as  an  elderly 
woman. 

12.  When  the  Egyptians  shall  see  thee  implies  that  Sarai,  like  the 
women  in  the  picture  at  Beni  Hasan,  went  unveiled.    Comp.    24  : 
65  f. 

13.  The  obvious  intent  of  the  author  in  making  Abram  say  to  Sarai, 
Say  thou  art  my  sister,  or,  with  the  Greek  and  Syriac  Versions,  Say, 
I  am  his  sister,  is  to  convey  the  idea  that  he  was  asking  her  to  mis- 
represent her  relation  to  him.     When  this  was  written  the  Hebrews 
seem  to  have  regarded  a  falsehood  under  such  circumstances  as  allow- 
able.    See  i   Kgs.   22  :  19  ff.;    Jer.  38  :  24;    comp.   20  :  12.     This, 
however,  is  not  so  bad  as  the  coolness  with  which  Abram  jeopardizes 
his  wife's  honor  for  the  sake  of  his  own  safety.     See  19:8.    The  final 
clause,  that  it  may  be  well  with  me,  is  an  appeal  to  Sarai's  affections, 
and  is  expressed  as  strongly  as  is  possible  in  Hebrew.     See  Ex. 
20  :  12. 

14.  The  Egyptians  beheld  that  she  was  very  fair.    The  nobles  of 
Egypt  under  the  Twelfth  Dynasty  were  partial  to  Syrian  women,  and 
had  many  of  them  in  their  harems. 

15.  Pharaoh ;    lit.  Great  House,  at  first  the  royal  establishment, 
but  finally  the  official  title  of  the  king  of  Egypt.     See  "  Sublime 
Porte."     The  woman  was  taken  into  Pharaoh's  house.    The  story 

109 


12  :  1 6  GENESIS 


1 6.  house.     And  °he  *  entreated  Abram  well  *  for  her  sake: 
and  he  had  sheep,  and  oxen,2  and  he-asses,  and  men- 
servants,    and    maidservants,    *  and    she-asses,    and 

17.  °camels.t     And  the  LORD  plagued  Pharaoh^  and  his 
house  with  great 3  °plagues,  because  of  Sarai  Abram's 

18.  wife.  And  Pharaoh  called  Abram,  and  said,  What  is  this 
that  thou  hast  done  unto  me?   why  didst  thou  not  tell 

19.  me  that  she  was  thy  wife?     Why  saidst  thou,  She  is  my 
sister?  so  that  °I  took  her  to  be  my  wife :  now  therefore 

20.  behold  thy  wife,4  °take  her  and  go  thy  way.     And 
Pharaoh  gave  men  charge  concerning  him:   and  °they 
brought  him  on  the  way,  and  the  wife,  and  °all  that  he 
had.5 

1  SV  dealt  well  with  Abram.       '  Sam.  very  many  cattle.       3  Gr.  adds,  and  sore. 
•«  Gr.  adds,  is  before  thee.       s  Gr.  Syr.  add,  and  Lot  with  him. 

of  "The  Scented  Lock  "  in  what  is  known  as  "  Papyrus  d'Orbiney  " 
shows  how  eager  the  kings  of  Egypt  were  for  handsome  women. 

16.  He  entreated  Abram  well ;  bestowed  upon  him  the  favor  and 
the  presents  that  the  brother  of  a  woman  had  a  right  to  expect  of  her 
husband ;  —  and  Abram  accepted  them,  thus  surrendering  any  claim 
to  Sarai.     It   is  the  favor  of  Pharaoh,  therefore,  according  to  the 
compiler,  to  which  Abram  owed  the  wealth   attributed   to   him    in 
13  :  2.    The  last  two  items  are  probably  an  addition  to  the  text.     At 
any  rate,  camels  seem  to  have  been  unknown  in  Egypt  before  the 
Greek  period. 

17.  The  plagues  by  which  Pharaoh  was  forced  to  restore  Sarai 
would  be  interpreted  to  him  by  his  wise  men.     So  Josephus,  Ant., 
i.  8,  i,  who,  like  the  author  of  20  :  i  ff.,  makes  some  interesting  changes 
in  the  story. 

19.  I  took  her  to  be  my  wife.    The  king  of  Egypt  could  have  only 
one  legal  wife.     If  the  writer  knew  this,  he  makes  Pharaoh  say  that 
he  intended  to  make  Sarai  his  queen.     Take  her  and  go  thy  way. 
Pharaoh's  promptness  in  righting  the  wrong  he  has  unintentionally 
committed  puts  him  in  a  more  admirable  position  than  that  of  Abram. 

20.  They  brought  him  on  his  way ;  expelled  him  from  the  country. 
They  allowed  him,  however,  —  and  this  weakens  the  moral  force  of 
the  story,  —  to  take  with  him  all  that  he  had. 

(c)    Separation  from  Lot,  chapter  13.     While  Abram  and  Lot  are 
encamped  near  Bethel,  —  a  second  time  according  to  the  composite* 


GENESIS 

13.       And  Abram  went  up  out  of  Egypt,  he,  and  his  wife,    R 
and  all  that  he  had,  and  °Lot  with  him,  into  °the  South. 

2.  |  And  °  Abram  was  very  rich  °in  cattle,  in  silver,  and  in    J 

3.  gold.  |  And  °he  went  on  his  journeys  from  the  South    R 

4.  even  to  Beth-el,  unto  the  place  where  his  tent  had  been 
at   the  beginning,  between  Beth-el  and  Ai;    unto  the 
place  of  the  altar,  which  he  had  made  there  at  the  first  : 
and  there  °Abram  called  on  the  name  of  the  LORD. 

5.  |  And  °Lot  also,  which  1  went  with  Abram,  had  flocks,    J 

6.  and  herds,  and  tents.2  |  And  the  land  was  not  able  to    P 
bear  them,  that  they  might  dwell  together:  for  °their 

1  SV  who.       *  Syr.  adds,  a  great  multitude. 

text,  —  their  herdsmen  quarrel  ;  whereupon  Abram  suggests  that  they 
separate,  giving  Lot  the  choice  of  directions;  and  so  they  do,  Lot 
choosing  the  Plain  of  the  Jordan  and  Abram  remaining  in  the  high- 
lands. To  get  the  original  connection  it  is  necessary  to  go  back  to 
12  :  8  (J),  and  then  read  in  this  chapter  vs.  2,  5,  6b~7a,  8-na,  i2b- 
13,  18.  Vs.  6a,  nb,  nb-i2a,  are  a  parallel  account  from  the  Priestly 
source,  and  the  rest  is  editorial. 

1.  Lot  with  him,  since  the  nephew  is  not  mentioned  in  12  :  9,  may  be 
an  afterthought.     The  South  ;  which,  however,  was  northeast  of  Egypt. 

2.  Abram  was  very  rich.       When  this  statement  is  connected, 
as  it  was  originally,  with  12  :  8,  it  appears  that  the  patriarch  brought 
his  wealth  with  him  from  Haran.     In  cattle,   etc.      Compare  this 
simple,  but  comprehensive,  list  with  that  of  12  :  16.     Silver  is  here 
mentioned  before  gold,  probably  because,  among  the  early  Hebrews, 
as  among  the  Egyptians,  it  was  rarer  and  more  highly  valued.    The 
Hebrew  word  for  money  is  the  one  for  silver. 

3.  He  went  on  his  journeys.    Better,  he  went  by  stages,  as  the  ow.ner  of 
cattle  necessarily  travels.    See  33  :  14.   The  distance  from  Beer-sheba 
to  Bethel,  by  the  way  of  Hebron  and  Jerusalem,  is  about  sixty  miles. 

4.  Abram  called  on  the  name  of  the  LORD.    Thus,  by  the  repetition 
of  the  final  clause  of  12  :  8,  the  compiler  brings  the  reader  back  to  the 
point  where  Abram  was  before  he  was  taken  to  Egypt. 

5.  Lot  also  introduces  a  natural  reference  to  the  nephew's  wealth, 
which  originally  followed  v.  2. 

6.  This  immense  wealth  in  cattle  finally  became  embarrassing. 
The  Priestly  narrator,  avoiding,  as  usual,  anything  that  might  seem 
discreditable  to  his  heroes,  gives  as  the  sole  reason  why  Abram  and 
Lot  had  to  separate,  that  their  substance  was  great.     See  36  :  7. 


I3 


13  :  7  GENESIS 


j  substance  was  great,1  |  so  that  they  could  not  dwell  to- 

7.  gether.  And  there  was  a  °strife  between  the  herdmen  of 

R  Abram's  cattle  and  the  herdmen  of  Lot's  cattle :  |  and 

°the  Canaanite  and  the  Perizzite  dwelled  then  in  the  land. 

J  8.  |  And  Abram  said  unto  Lot,  Let  there  be  no  strife,  I 
pray  thee,  between  me  and  thee,  and  between  my  herd- 
9.  men  and  thy  herdmen;  for  °we  are  brethren.  Is  not 
the  whole  land  before  thee?  separate  thyself,  I  pray 
thee,  from  me:  if  thou  wilt  take  °the  2  left  hand,2  then  I 
will  go  to  °the  right 3 ;  or  if  thou  take  the  right  hand, 
10.  then  I  will  go  to  the  left.  And  °Lot  lifted  up  his  eyes, 
and  beheld  °all  the  Plain4  of  Jordan5  that  °it  was 
well  watered  Everywhere,  before  the  LORD  destroyed 
°Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  like  °the  garden  of  the  LORD, 
*  like  °the  land  of  Egypt,t  as  thou  goest  unto  °Zoar.8 

1  Syr.  very  great.      *  Tar.  north.      3  Tar.  south.       *  m.  Circle;  Syr.  land.      *  SV 
the  Jordan.       6  Syr.  Zoan. 

7.  Fortunately  an  older  version,  and  one  truer  to  life,  has  been  pre- 
served by  the  Judean  narrator,  who  says  frankly  that  the  immediate 

.  cause  of  the  separation  was  strife  between  the  herdmen.  The  Ca- 
naanite and  the  Perizzite  here  seem  to  represent  the  native  inhabit- 
ants in  the  cities  and  in  the  open  villages,  respectively;  but  if  this 
interpretation  is  correct,  the  reference  to  them  cannot  be  a  part  of 
the  original  story.  Comp.  12:6. 

8.  We  are  brethren ;    near  relatives ;   an  appeal  as  flattering  to 
Lot  as  it  was  creditable  to  Abram. 

9.  The  left  and  the  right  are  not  here,  as  the  Targum  renders  them, 
the  north  and  the  south,  but  simply  any  two  opposite,  or  at  least  differ- 
ent, directions.     See  24  :  49.     Comp.  Ezek.  16  :  46. 

10.  Lot  lifted  up  his  eyes.     He  had  only  to  do  so  to  behold  from  the 
hill  east  of  Bethel,  where  he  was  encamped,  all  the  Plain  of  Jordan, 
or,  more  correctly,  the  Jordan.    The  Plain,  lit.  Circle,  of  the  Jordan 
can  only  be  the  widening  valley  of  that  river  toward  the  Dead  Sea. 
No  doubt  it  was  well  watered,  either  from  the  river  or  from  the  springs 
and  streams  on  both  sides  of  it,  everywhere  in  those  early  ^times. 
Sodom    and  Gomorrah   must  have  been  situated  somewhere  in  this 
Plain ;   otherwise  they  would  not  be  mentioned.     See  10  :  19.     It  is 
compared  to  the  garden  of  the  LORD  in  Eden  and  the  land  of  Egypt; 

112 


GENESIS 


n.   So  °Lot  chose  him  all  the  Plain  of  Jordan1;   and  Lot 
journeyed  east ;  |  and  they  separated  themselves  the  one  P 

12.  from  the  other.     Abram  dwelled  in  the  land  of  Canaan, 
and  Lot  dwelled  in  °the  cities  2  of  the  Plain,2  |  and  J 

13.  °3  moved  his  tent 3  °as  far  as  Sodom.     Now  the  men  of 
Sodom  were  wicked  and  sinners  against  the  LORD  ex- 

14.  ceedingly.  |  And  4  the  LORD  4  said  unto  Abram,  after  R 
that  Lot  was  separated  from  him,  Lift  up  now  thine 
eyes,  and  look  from  the  place  where  thou  art,  °north- 

15.  ward  and  southward  and  eastward  and  °westward:  for 
all  the  land  which  thou  seest,  to  thee  will  I  give  it,  and 

1 6.  to  thy  seed  forever.     And  I  will  make  thy  seed  °as  the 
dust  of  the  earth :  so  that  if  a  man  can  number  the  dust 

1  SV  the  Jordan.  *  Vg.  (hat  were  about  the  Jordan.  3  Vg.  dwelt;  Syr.  pos- 
sessed. *  Gr.  God. 

each  of  which  owed  its  fertility  to  the  river  that  passed  through  it. 
See  2  :  10 ;  Dt.  n  :  10.  The  second  of  these  phrases  seems  to  have 
been  added  to  the  text  by  some  one  who  was  inclined  to  follow  the 
Syriac  Version,  which  has  Zoan  for  Zoar.  See  Num.  13  :  22.  The 
latter  city  is  traditionally  located  in  Wady  es-Safiyeh,  near  the  south- 
eastern corner  of  the  Dead  Sea ;  but  this  passage  requires  that  it  be 
sought  near  the  northeast  corner.  See  Merrill,  East  of  the  Jordan, 
233  f.  Perhaps,  therefore,  the  name  is  preserved  in  that  of  Tell 
esh-Shaghur,  east  of  the  Jordan,  on  the  road  to  Madeba. 

11.  Lot,  less  wise,  as  well  as  less  generous,  than  his  uncle,  promptly 
chose  him  all  the  Plain  of  Jordan,  and  took  his  journey  thither.  .The 
last  clause  is  the  continuation  of  6a. 

12.  The  first  half  of  this  verse  is  the  conclusion  of  the  Priestly 
writer's  brief  account  of  the  separation.     The  cities  of  the  Plain ; 
a  Hebraism  for  one  of  the  cities  of  the  Plain.     See  Jud.  12  :  7.     The 
author  (P)  shrinks  from  connecting  even  Lot  directly  with  Sodom. 
The  statement  begun  in  na  (J)  was  not  finished.       It  now  appears 
that,  when  he  journeyed  eastward,  he  moved  his  tent,  changed  his 
camp  from  time  to  time,  as  far  as,  until  he  reached,  Sodom.     For  the 
rest  of  the  Judean  account,  see  v.  18. 

14.  The  intervening  verses  enlarge  upon  the  promise  of  Yahweh 
to  Abram.  The  author  does  not  seem  to  be  as  careful  as  the  Jahvist. 
There  is  no  extended  outlook  from  Bethel  northward  or  westward. 

16.  As  the  dust  of  the  earth.  For  other  similar  figures,  see  22  :  17. 
I  113 


GENESIS 


of  the  earth,  then  shall 1  thy  seed  also  be  numbered. 

17.  Arise,  walk  through  the  land  in  the  length  of  it  and  in 

18.  the  breadth  of  it,  for  unto  thee  will  I  give  it.  |  And 
°Abram  2  moved  his  tent,2  and  came    and    °dwelt   by 
03  the  oaks  of  Mamre,3  which  are  °  in  Hebron,  and  built 
there  °an  altar  unto  the  LORD. 


tSVmay.     *  Sam.  went;  Syr.  came.     3  m.  the  terebinths,  etc. ;  Gr.  the  oak  Mamre; 
Vg.  the  valley  of  Mamre;  Syr.  the  oak  of  Mamre  the  Amorite. 


18.  This  verse  completes  v.  na,  the  two  together  corresponding  to 
v.  12  (P).  Abram  moved  his  tent ;  lit.  tented,  moved  by  stages.  The 
distance  was  only  about  thirty  miles.  Comp.  v.  17.  He  finally  dwelt, 
made  a  prolonged  stay,  by  the  oaks  of  Mamre.  Better,  as  in  the 
margin,  the  terebinths,  or,  since  both  the  Greek  and  the  Syriac  Version 
have  the  singular,  the  terebinth  of  Mamre.  So  Josephus,  Ant.,  i.  u,  2. 
The  name  Mamre  sometimes  denotes  a  place,  and  sometimes  a  per- 
son. Here  and  in  18  :  i  it  is  ambiguous.  See  14  :  13  ;  35  :  27.  The 
oaks  in  question  are  described  as  in  Hebron,  one  of  the  most  ancient 
cities  in  Palestine.  See  Num.  13  :  22.  Its  original  name,  according 
to  Josh.  14  :  15  and  Jud.  i  :  10,  was  Kiriath-arba ;  which,  however, 
was  not  derived  from  that  of  any  person,  but  is  equivalent  to  Te- 
trapolis,  or  Four-town.  See  2  Sam.  2  :  3.  Being  the  largest  city  in 
Judah,  and  well  situated  for  his  purpose,  it  became  David's  first 
capital.  Its  chief  distinction,  however,  is  that  it  was  the  burial-place 
of  the  patriarchs,  whose  tombs  are  still  shown.  See  23  :  20.  It  is 
still,  under  the  name  el-Khalil,  a  thriving  city  of  about  20,000  inhabit- 
ants, well  located  for  trade  with  the  Bedawin  of  the  southern  desert. 
It  is  about  twenty  miles  from  Jerusalem.  An  altar  unto  the  LORD; 
the  third  erected  by  Abram  since  he  entered  the  country. 

(d)  The  Elamite  raid,  chapter  14.  Chedorlaomer,  the  king  of 
Elam,  coming  to  Palestine,  accompanied  by  three  subject  rulers, 
to  suppress  a  rebellion  headed  by  the  king  of  Sodom,  first  makes  the 
circuit  of  Edom,  subduing  the  tribes  through  whose  countries  he 
passes,  then  overthrows  the  allies  in  the  vale  of  Siddim,  and  finally 
departs  laden  with  plunder  and  having  Lot  among  his  prisoners. 
When  Abram  hears  that  his  nephew  has  been  taken  captive  he  pur- 
sues the  retreating  invaders,  rescues  Lot,  and  restores  the  captured 
property,  after  paying  tithes  to  Melchizedek,  the  king  of  Salem. 
The  story  is  from  neither  of  the  narratives  from  which  the  rest  of 
Genesis  was  compiled,  but  is  unique  in  form  and  spirit,  and  must  be 
treated  as  an  independent  element. 

114 


GENESIS 

(  ?)  14.    And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  days  of  °Amraphel  king 
of  Shinar,  °Arioch  king  of  Ellasar,1  °Chedorlaomer  king 

1  Vg.  Pontus;  Syr.  Dalasar. 


i .  The  names  of  the  kings  who  took  part  in  the  raid  are  not  arranged 
in  the  order  of  their  importance,  but  apparently  according  to  the 
alphabet.  The  first  is  Amraphel  king  of  Shinar,  -i.e.,  Babylonia. 
He  is  supposed  to  be  the  famous  Hammurabi,  whose  name  was  some- 
times written  Ammurapi,  although  the  origin  of  the  /  at  the  end  of  the 
Hebrew  form  of  it  has  not  as  yet  been  very  satisfactorily  explained. 
There  are  various  opinions  with  reference  to  his  date.  The  latest 
researches  seem  to  show  that  the  dynasty  to  which  he  belonged  was 
founded  in  the  first  half  of  the  twenty-first  century  B.C.  If  so,  the 
beginning  of  his  reign  of  fifty-five  years,  which  was  a  hundred  and 
twelve  years  later,  must  have  been  toward  1950  B.C.  This  is  con- 
siderably later  than  the  date  of  Abraham  according  to  the  chro- 
nology of  the  Old  Testament.  The  figures  for  the  latter  are  as 
follows: 

Date  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  586  B.C. 

To  the  foundation  of  the  Temple  430  years 

To  the  Exodus  (i  Kgs.  6  :  i)  480  years 

To  the  descent  into  Egypt       (Ex.  12  :  40)  430  years 

To  the  migration  of  Abram  215  years  2141  B.C. 

The  result  is  more  favorable  if  one  adopts  the  Samaritan  reading  in 
Ex.  12  :  40,  according  to  which  it  was  only  four  hundred  and  thirty 
years  from  the  migration  of  Abram  to  the  Exodus ;  in  other  words  the 
date  of  the  migration  of  Abram  was  1926  B.C.  When,  however,  the 
question  of  the  correctness  of  the  figures  of  the  received  text  is  once 
raised,  the  Egyptologist  will  object  that  the  Exodus  was  nearer  1215 
than  1496  B.C.,  and  that,  therefore,  the  date  of  Abram's  migration 
cannot  have  been  earlier  than  1860,  and  may  have  been  as  late  as 
1645  B.C.;  while  others  will  require  further  reductions.  All  which 
shows,  not  that  Abram  and  Hammurabi  were  not  contemporaries, 
but  that,  if  they  were,  it  cannot  be  proven  by  the  chronology  of  the 
Old  Testament,  but  must  be  established  by  some  other  method.  If 
Amraphel  is  Hammurabi,  Arioch  king  of  Ellasar  is  doubtless  Eri- 
aku,  or,  as  he  was  called  in  Babylonian,  Rim-sin,  a  king  of  Larsa,  the 
modern  Senkereh,  whom  Hammurabi  overthrew  when,  in  his  thirty- 
first  year,  he  threw  off  the  Yoke  of  Elam.  This  Eri-aku  was  a  son  of 
one  Kudur-mabuk,  who  is  called  "  the  father  of  Yamutbalu."  The 
name  Chedorlaomer  has  not  as  yet  been  identified,  but  the  analogy  of 

"5 


14:  I 


GENESIS 


2.  of  Elam,  and  °Tidal 1  king  of  °Goiim,2  that  °they  made 
war  with  °Bera  3  king  of  Sodom,  and  with  °Birsha  king 
of  Gomorrah,  Shinab  4  king  of  °Admah,  and  Shem- 
eber5  king  of  °Zeboiim,  and  the  king  of  °Bela  6  (the 

3.  same  is  °Zoar).     All  these  joined  7  together  in7  °8  the 

4.  vale  of  Siddim  8  (°the  same  is  the  Salt  Sea).     Twelve 
years  they  served  Chedorlaomer,  and  in  the  thirteenth 


1  Gr.  Thargal.  *  m.  nations.  3  Gr.  Balla.  *  Gr.  Sennaar.  *  Sam.  Sheme- 
bed;  Syr.  Shemair.  6  Gr.  Balak.  1  m.  themselves  together  against.  8  Gr.  the  sail 
vale,  a  wooded  vale;  Syr.  the  vale  of  the  Sodomites;  Tar.  the  vale  of  the  fields. 


Kudur-mabuk  and  the  fact  that  there  was  an  Elamite  deity  Lagamar 
make  it  probable  that  it  is  a  genuine  Elamite  name  whose  original 
form  was  Kudur-lagamar.  Pinches  thinks  that  he  has  found  it  as 
well  as  Arioch  and  Tidal  in  a  couple  of  late  inscriptions,  but  his  claim 
is  strongly  denied  by  some  of  the  best  authorities.  The  identification 
of  Tidal  with  the  Tudhula  of  his  tablets  is  also  doubted.  Goiim, 
which  in  Hebrew  means  nations,  may,  as  has  been  suggested,  be  a 
mistake  for  Gutim,  the  Guti,  a  people  whose  home  was  in  the  hilly 
country  northeast  of  Babylonia. 

2.  They  made  war.    This  must  have  been  before  Hammurabi's 
thirty-first  year,  when  he  himself  successfully  revolted.    The  names 
of  the  kings  Bera  and  Birsha,  who  are  not  elsewhere  mentioned,  lend 
themselves  to  an  unfavorable  etymology,  and  have  actually  been  inter- 
preted by  Jewish  scholars  as  meaning  respectively  Son  of  evil  and 
Son  of  a  transgressor.     Adman  and  Zeboiim  are  alluded  to  in  Hos. 
ii  :  8  as  if  they  had  suffered  severely  from  the  wrath  of  God,  and  in 
Dt.  29  :  23  they  are  associated,  as  they  are  here,  with  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah.     See  also  10  :  19.     If  they  were  all  overthrown  in  the 
same  catastrophe,  they  must  all  have  been  situated  in  the  now  barren 
plain  at  the  head  of  the  Dead  Sea.    On  Zoar,  here  called  Bela  (De- 
struction), see  13  :  10. 

3.  The  parenthetical  explanation,  the  same  is  the  Salt  Sea,  has  been 
taken  to  mean  that  the  vale  of  Siddim  occupied  the  whole  or  a  part 
of  the  present  site  of  the  Dead  Sea.     If,  however,  this  is  a  correct  in- 
terpretation, the  idea  thus  expressed  does  not  harmonize  with  v.  7; 
in  other  words,  the  clause  is  an  interpolation.     It  would  also  conflict 
with  the  passages  in  which  reference  is  made  to  the  destruction  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah  ;  for  there  is  nothing  in  any  of  them  to  indicate 
that  the  plain  in  which  these  cities  were  situated  was  afterward  covered 
by  water.    On  the  contrary,  Dt.  29  :  23  describes  it  as  a  desert. 

116 


GENESIS 


5.  year  they  rebelled.     And  in  °the  fourteenth  year  came 
Chedorlaomer,  and  the  kings  that  were  with  him,  and 
smote    °the    Rephaim 1    in    °Ashteroth-karnaim,    and 
02  the  Zuzim 2  3  in  Ham,3  and  °the  Emim  4  in  °Shaveh  5- 

6.  kiriathaim,  and  °the  Horites  in  °6  their  mount 8  Seir, 

7.  unto  °El-paran,  which  is  by  °the  wilderness.     And  °they 
returned,  and  came  to  En-mishpat  (the  same  is  °Ka- 
desh  7),  and  smote  all  °the  country8  of  the  Amalekites, 

1  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  giants.  *  Gr.  strong  nations;  Syr.  Tar.  the  strong.  3  Gr.  Vg. 
Syr.  with  them.  «  Syr.  firm;  Tar.  terrible.  s  m.  the  Plain  of.  6  Sam.  Gr.  Vg. 
Syr.  the  mountains  of;  Tar.  the  mountain  of.  1  Syr.  Tar.  Rekam.  8  Gr.  Syr. 
Princes;  Tar.  fields. 

5.  The  fourteenth  year.    The  distance  from  Elam  was  so  great 
that  the  rebellion  could  not  be  suppressed  more  promptly.     The 
Rephaim;    according  to  Dt.  2  :  n,  20;   3  :  13,  the   original  gigantic 
inhabitants  of  the  country  east  of  the  Jordan.    One  of  their  strong- 
holds was  Ashteroth-karnaim,  which  is  most  plausibly  identified  with 
Tell  el-Ash'ari,  near  the  Haj  route,  about  twenty-one  miles  east  of 
the  Sea  of  Galilee.     The  Zuzim  (Strong)  are  probably  the  same  as 
the  Zamzummim  of  Dt.  2  :  20,  and  therefore  the  giants  of  the  region 
later  occupied  by  the  Ammonites.    They  were  smitten  in  Ham,  which, 
since  no  other  stronghold  of  the  Ammonites  is  ever  mentioned,  may 
well  have  been  Rabbath  Ammon,  now  Amman,  near  the  source  of  the 
Jabbok.     The  Emim,  according  to  Dt.   2:11,  were  the  giants  of 
the  region  east  of  the  Dead  Sea  later  occupied  by  theMoabites.    They 
were  defeated  in  Shaveh-kiriathaim.    This  place  is  mentioned  several 
times  in  the  Old  Testament ;  also  in  the  so-called  Mesha  Stone.     See 
Mitchell,  Amos,  79.     It  is  probably  the  modern  Kuriyat,  about  nine 
miles  east  of  the  Dead  Sea,  and  six  south  of  Wady  ZerkaMa'in. 

6.  The  Horites  ;  according  to  Dt.  2:12,  the  original  inhabitants  of 
their  mount,  or  better,  with  the  Samaritans  and  the  Versions,  the 
mountains  of,  Seir,  i.e.,  Edom.     El-paran ;  apparently  the  place  later 
known  as  Elath,  at  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  Akabah.     The  wilderness ; 
the  desert  west  of  Edom  now  known  as  et-Tih.     See  Num.  13  :  3 ; 
i  Kgs.  ii  :  18. 

7.  They  returned ;    turned  from  this,   the  most  southerly  point 
reached,  toward  the  west.     Kadesh,  the  place  from  which  Moses  sent 
the  spies  into  the  Promised  Land  (Num.  20  :  14),  now  Ayn  Kadis, 
was  on  the  edge  of  the  south  country,  fifty  miles  from  Beer-sheba. 
The  country  of  the  Amalekites ;    the  country  afterward  occupied  by 
the  Amalekites,  who,  according  to  36  :  12,  were  descended  from  Esau, 

117 


14  :  8  GENESIS 


and  also  the  Amorites,  that  dwelt  in  °Hazazon-tamar.1 

8.  And  there  went  out  the  king  of  Sodom,  and  the  king  of 
Gomorrah,  and  the  king  of  Admah,  and  the  king  of 
Zeboiim,  and  the  king  of  Bela  (the  same  is  Zoar) ;   and 
they  set  the  battle  in  array  against  them  iii  °2  the  vale 

9.  of  Siddim  2 ;   against  Chedorlaomer  king  of  Elam,  and 
Tidal  king  of  Goiim,  and  Amraphel  king  of  Shinar,  and 

10.  Arioch  king  of  Ellasar ;  four  kings  against  the  five.  Now 
the  vale  of  Siddim  was  full  of  slime  3  pits,  and  °the  kings 4 
of   Sodom  and  Gomorrah  5  fled,  and   they  fell   there, 

11.  and  they  that  remained  fled  to  °the  mountain.     And 
they  took  all  the  goods  6  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and 

12.  all  their  victuals,  and  went  their  way.     And  they  took 
Lot,  °*  Abram's  brother's  son,f  who  dwelt  in  Sodom,  and 

13.  7  his  goods,7  and  departed.     And  there  came  one  that 
had  escaped,  and  told  Abram  the  °Hebrew:   now  he 

1  Syr.  Tar.  En-gedi.  '  See  v.  3.  s  m.  bitumen.  *  Heb.  sing,  s  Sam.  Gr.  Syr. 
the  king  of  Gomorrah.  6  Gr.  horsemen.  'Sam.  all  his  goods. 

Hazazon-tamar.  Those  who  locate  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  at  the 
south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea  are  obliged  to  identify  this  place  with  the 
Tamar  of  Ezek.  47  :  19  and  48  :  28,  which  was  probably  in  that 
region.  In  2  Chr.  20  :  2,  however,  it  is  identified  with  En-gedi,  now 
Ayn  Jidi,  on  the  western  shore  of  the  Dead  Sea,  and  the  Targum  and 
the  Syriac  Version  have  En-gedi  in  the  text.  For  a  description  of 
the  place,  see  Tristram,  Land  of  Israel,  278  ff.;  and  of  the  road 
thither,  296  ff. 

8.  If  Hazazon-tamar  is  En-gedi,  this  assumption  favors  the  view 
that  the  vale  of  Siddim  was  at  the  north  end  of  the  Sea. 

10.  The  kings  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  The  original  has  the 
singular,  king;  which  indicates  that  the  words  and  Gomorrah  ought 
to  be  dropped  or  the  king  of  inserted  between  them,  as  in  some  of  the 
ancient  authorities.  The  mountain.  Better,  the  highlands,  the  hill 
country  overlooking  the  Plain  from  the  east. 

12.  The  arrangement  of  this  verse  in  the  original,  And  they  took 
Lot  and  his  goods,  Abram's  brother's  son,  etc.,  is  such  as  to  indicate 
that  the  descriptive  phrase,  Abram's  brother's  son  is  a  marginal  gloss 
that  has  been  inserted  in  the  wrong  place. 

13.  The  name  Hebrew  is.  supposed  to  denote  one  from  the  other 

118 


GENESIS 


dwelt  by  l  the  oaks  of  °Mamre  *  the  °Amorite,  brother  of 
°Eshcol,  and  brother  of  °Aner 2 ;  and  these  were  confed- 

14.  erate  with  Abram.     And  when  Abram  heard  that  °3  his 
brother3   was    taken    captive,    °he   4led    forth4    °his 
trained  men,  born  in  his  house,   °three  hundred  and 

15.  eighteen,  and  pursued5  as  far  as  °Dan.     And  °he  6 di- 
vided himself  against 6  them  by  night,  he  and  his  ser- 
vants, and  smote  them,  and  pursued  them  unto  Hobah, 

1 6.  which  is  °on  the  7left  hand7  of  Damascus.     And  he 
brought  back  all  the  goods,8  and  also  brought  again 
3  his  brother3  Lot,   and  9  his  goods,9  and  the  women 

'See  13  :  18.  *  Sam.  Anram;   Gr.  Annan.      3  Syr.    the    son   of  his   brother. 

*  Sam.  mustered;  Gr.   Vg.   numbered;    Syr.  Tar.  armed.           s  Gr.    Syr.  add,  after 

them.  6  Gr.  fell  upon.  '  m.  north.  8  Gr.  horsemen.  «  Gr.  mss.  ail  his 
goods. 

side,  i.e.,  according  to  most  authorities,  of  the  Euphrates.  The  use 
of  it  here  has  led  some  to  believe  that  this  story  originated  among 
foreigners.  Mamre,  elsewhere  a  place,  is  in  this  chapter  a  person  and 
an  Amorite.  According  to  the  Priestly  document,  the  inhabitants 
of  Hebron  and  the  country  generally  were  Hittites.  See  23  :  3;  also 
10  :  15.  Eshcol,  also,  except  in  this  chapter,  is  a  locality,  probably 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Hebron.  See  Num.  13  :  23  f.  The  strange- 
ness of  the  name  Aner  and  its  similarity  to  Anak,  one  that  occurs 
repeatedly  in  connection  with  the  history  of  Hebron,  make  it  more 
than  possible  that  the  former  is  a  mistake  for  the  latter. 

14.  His  brother;    strictly,  as  the  Syriac  Version  reads,  the  son  of 
his  brother.    The  broader  use  of  the  term  brother  is  common  in  Hebrew. 
See  13  :  8.     He  led  forth.     Better,  with  the  Samaritans,  he  mustered. 
His  trained  men;   men  loyal  to  him  and  reliable  in  an  emergency. 
Three  hundred  and  eighteen.    The  number  of  men  here  attributed  to 
Abram  makes  him,  not  merely  a  wealthy  shepherd,  but  a  powerful 
chieftain,  the  head  of  a  tribe  of  fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand  souls, 
to  say  nothing  of  his  allies.     The  use  of  Dan  for  Laish,  the  original 
name  of  the  place  that  marked  the  northern  border  of  Canaan,  shows 
that  this  chapter  cannot  have  been  written  before  the  period  of  the 
Judges,  when  the  name  was  changed.     See  Jud.  18  :  29. 

15.  He  divided  himself,  i.e.,  his  forces,  against  them  ;  as  Gideon  did 
his  against  the  Midianites.     See  Jud.  7  :  16.     On  the  left  hand.    The 
Hebrews,  when  describing  the  points  of  the  compass,  faced  the  east. 
The  east,  therefore,  was  in  front  and  the  west  behind  (Is.  9  :  1 1), 

119 


14  :  17  GENESIS 

17.  also,  and  °the  people.     And  the  king  of  Sodom  went  out 
to  meet  him,  after  his  return  from  °the  slaughter  of  Che- 
dorlaomer  and  the  kings  that  were  with  him,  °at  the  vale 

18.  of  Shaveh  (the  same  is  the  King's  Vale).     And  °Mel- 
chizedek  king  of  Salem  brought  forth  bread'  and  wine : 

19.  and  he  was  °priest  of  God  Most  High.     And  he  blessed 
him,1  and  said,  Blessed  be  Abram  of  God  Most  High, 

20.  °possessor  of  heaven  and  earth :   and  blessed  be  God 
Most  High,  which  2  hath  delivered  thine  enemies  into 

'Sam.  Abram.      *  SV  who. 

while  the  right  hand  pointed  to  the  south  and  the  left  to  the  north. 
See  Ezek.  16  :  46. 

16.  The  clause  relating  to  Lot  is  really  parenthetical,  and  should 
be  so  read.     The  people  ;   the  rest  of  the  people. 

17.  The  slaughter  of  Chedorlaomer.     Better,  since  the  word  here 
rendered  slaughter  is  the  same  that  is  used  in  v.  15,  the  defeat  of  Che- 
dorlaomer.    At,  better  to,  the  vale  of  Shaveh.     Where  the  author 
located  this  place  it  is  difficult  to  decide.     It  ought  to  be  in  or  near  the 
valley  of  the  Jordan,  by  which  Abram  would  naturally  return  from 
his  expedition  ;    but,  if  it  is  correctly  identified  with  the  King's  Vale, 
it  was  probably  in  the  vicinity  of  Jerusalem.     See  2  Sam.  18  :  18 ; 
Josephus,  Ant.,  vii.  10,  3. 

1 8.  The  story  proper  is  now  interrupted  by  an  unexpected  inci- 
dent,  viz.,  an  interview  between  Abram  and  Melchizedek  king  of 
Salem.      Salem  is  here,  no  doubt,  as  in  Ps.  76  :  2,  Jerusalem.     Of 
Melchizedek  nothing  can  be  said  further  than  that  his  name  is  con- 
structed after  the  analogy  of  that  of  Adonizedek,  a  king  of    Jeru- 
salem mentioned  in  Josh.  10:  i  ff.,  and  has  the  same  meaning.     The 
attempt  to  find  a  parallel  for  him  in  the  Abd-hiba  who  was  a  gov- 
ernor of  Jerusalem  under  Amenhotep  IV.  is  mistaken  and  should  be 
abandoned.     He  was  not  only  a  king,  but  also  priest  of  God  Most 
High,  i.e.,  of  the  supreme  Deity  of  the  Canaanites. 

19  f.  In  the  blessing  with  which  he  greets  Abram  possessor  of 
heaven  and  earth  is  an  assertion  of  the  universal  sovereignty  of  this 
God  which  the  Hebrew  is  called  upon  to  recognize.  He  does  so  by 
giving  to  the  priest  a  tenth  of  all.  This  statement  seems  inconsistent 
with  v.  23,  unless  it  refers  only  to  the  spoils  taken  from  the  Elamites. 
It  is  possible,  however,  that  it  should  be  interpreted  as  indicating  that 
the  interview  with  Melchizedek  did  not  originally  form  a  part  of  this 
chapter.  The  payment  of  the  tithe  by  Abram  is,  of  course,  to  be  re- 

120 


GENESIS 


21.  thy  hand.     And  he  gave  him  °a  tenth  of  all.     And  the 
king  of  Sodom  said  unto  Abram,  Give  me  the  persons 

22.  and  take  the  goods  l  to  thyself.     And  Abram  said  to 
the  king  of  Sodom,  °I  have  lift  up  mine  hand  unto  °2  the 
LORD,2  God  Most  High,  possessor  3  of  heaven  and  earth, 

23.  that  I  will  not  take  °a  thread  nor  a  shoelatchet  nor 
aught  that  is  thine,   lest  thou  shouldest  say,   I  have 

24.  made  Abram  rich :    save 4  only  that  which  °the  young 
men  have  eaten,  and  the  portion  of  °the  men  which 
went  with  me;    Aner,  Eshcol,  and  Mamre,  let  them 
take  their  portion. 

1  Gr.  horsemen.       •  Sam.  God;  Gr.  Syr.  om.       J  m.  maker.      *  m.  let  there  be 
nothing  for  me. 


garded  as  a  prophecy  of  the  selection  of  Jerusalem  as  the  religious 
centre  of  the  country.  Compare  28  :  32,  where  Bethel  is  similarly 
honored. 

21.  This  verse  connects  so  naturally  with  v.  17  that  if  vs.  18-20 
were  omitted,  no  one  would  miss  them. 

22.  I  have  lift  (SV  lifted)  up  mine  hand  ;   taken  an  oath.     See  Dt. 
32  :  40.     The  LORD.    Better,  with  the  Samaritans,  God;  which  would 
easily  be  overlooked,  as  it  seems  to  have  been  by  the  Greek  and  Syrian 
translators. 

23.  A  thread  nor  (or)  a  shoelatchet ;    lit.  from  a  thread  to  a  shoe- 
latchet,  the  least  thing. 

24.  The  young  men;    Abram's  own  followers.     Since  the  men 
which  went  with  me  are  evidently  the  three  whose  names  follow,  it  is 
better,   with  SV,  to  ignore  the  Hebrew  punctuation  and  insert'  the 
comma  after  me  and  the  semicolon  after  Mamre. 

At  the  beginning  it  was  remarked  that  this  chapter  was  unique. 
In  the  foregoing  comments  it  has  become  clear  what  was  meant  by 
this  statement.  It  is  especially  true  in  relation  to  the  character  given 
to  Abram,  who  is  here  represented,  not  as  a  shepherd  or  prophet,  but 
as  a  chieftain  with  a  powerful  retinue.  This  fact  in  itself  suggests  a 
comparison  unfavorable  to  the  story.  There  are  other  points  to  be 
noted.  The  names  of  the  kings  of  the  allied  cities,  Sodom,  etc., 
sound  as  if  they  were  fictitious.  The  Rephaim,  etc.,  are  certainly 
not  historical,  but  legendary,  inhabitants  of  the  country  east  and  south 
of  the  Jordan  and  the  Dead  Sea,  whose  names  seem  to  have  been 
taken  from  Deuteronomy.  Finally,  there  is  the  number  of  Abram's 


GENESIS 


E  15.  °After  these  things  *  the  word  of  the  LORD  f  came 
unto  Abram  °in  a  vision,  saying,  Fear  not,  Abram :  I 
am  °thy  shield,  and 1  °2  thy  exceeding  great  reward.2 

1  So  Vg.       3  m.  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  thy  reward  shall  be  exceeding  great. 

following.  The  Hebrews  used  the  letters  of  their  alphabet  for  figures. 
If,  now,  the  letters  of  the  name  of  Eliezer,  the  steward  of  Abram,  who, 
according  to  15  :  2  f.,  was  born  in  his  house,  like  the  men  of  v.  14, 
be  so  treated  the  result  will  be  i  +  30  +  10  +  70  +  7  +  200  =  318,  the 
number  given.  These  are  very  significant  indications.  Nor  are  they 
offset  by  the  mention  of  the  apparently  historical  names  in  v.  i.  It 
was  easy  for  a  Jew  writing  in  Babylonia  to  come  by  them,  especially 
if,  as  Pinches  admits,  the  three  foreign  ones  were  current  in  that  country 
after  the  Persian  period.  There  is  therefore  reason  to  believe  that 
this  chapter  is  late  work  designed  to  add  to  the  glory  of  the  father  of 
the  faithful. 

(2)    The  promise  of  God,  15  : 1-17 :  27 

When  God  summoned  Abram  to  leave  his  original  home  for  another 
country  he  promised  to  make  him  "  a  great  nation."  In  the  three 
chapters  that  follow,  this  rather  vague  assurance  becomes  a  definite 
prediction  of  the  most  encouraging  character.  First,  it  is  repeated 
in  connection  with  a  covenant  in  sacrifice  (chapter  15) ;  then  the  faith 
of  the  patriarch  is  permitted  to  nourish  itself  on  Ishmael,  the  son  of 
Hagar  (chapter  16) ;  and  finally  he  is  told,  not  only  that  he  is  again  to 
become  a  father,  but  that  Sarai  is  to  be  the  mother  of  the  future  nation 
(chapter  17). 

(a)  The  covenant  of  Yahweh,  15  : 1-21.  The  gist  of  the  chapter 
is  that  God  appeared  to  Abram,  when  he  had  begun  to  despair  of 
having  issue,  and  gave  him  satisfactory  assurance  that  he  should  yet 
rejoice  in  children,  and  that  his  descendant  should  inherit  the  land  to 
which  he  had  come  as  a  stranger.  In  its  details  it  is  somewhat  con- 
fused, owing  to  the  fact  that  in  it  two  accounts  of  the  same  incident, 
one  of  them  from  the  Judean  narrative,  and  the  other  from  the 
Ephraimite,  which  is  here  used  for  the  first  time,  have  been  combined. 
Naturally  the  difficulties  disappear  when  they  are  separated. 

i.  After  these  things  now  means  after  the  Elamite  raid,  but  origi- 
nally it  must  have  referred  to  the  arrival  of  Abram  in  Canaan.  In  a 
vision  indicates  that  the  scene  is  laid  in  the  night.  On  the  other  hand, 
according  to  vs.  14,  17,  the  interview  began  some  time  before  dark. 
The  discrepancy  is  explained  by  supposing,  as  has  been  suggested,  that 
the  passage  is  composite,  and  that  the  Ephraimite,  who  generally 
represents  God  as  appearing  in  visions,  is  here  the  narrator.  See 


GENESIS 


2.  And  Abram  said,  °O  Lord  GOD,*  what  wilt  thou  give 
me,  seeing  I  go  1  childless,  °and  2  he  that  shall  be  pos- 

3.  sessor  of  my  house2  3  is  °Dammesek  Eliezer3?  |  And 
Abram  said,  Behold,  to  me  thou  hast  given  no  seed: 

4.  and,  lo,  one  born  in  my  house  is  mine  heir.     And  be- 
hold the  word  of   the  LORD  came  unto  him,  saying, 
This  man  shall  not  be  thine  heir;    but  he  that  shall 
come  forth  out  of  thine  own  bowels  shall  be  thine  heir.  | 

1  m.  go  hence.  *  Gr.  the  son  of  Masek  my  home-bred  -woman;  Vg.  a  son  of  the 
steward  of  my  house;  Syr.  a  son  of  my  house  is  my  heir;  Tar.  the  son  of  this  steward 
•who  is  in  my  house.  3  SV  Syr.  Tar.  is  Eliezer  of  Damascus;  Gr.  Vg.  is  this  Da- 
mascene Eliezer. 

20  :  3  ;  22 :  2  f. ;  28  :  12  ;  31:21;  etc. ;  but  especially  Num.  12  :  6. 
Thy  shield  ;  a  frequent  figure.  See  Dt.  33  :  29 ;  Ps.  3:314.  It  de- 
notes present  protection,  while  thy  exceeding  great  reward,  or  better, 
thy  reward  shall  be  very  great,  looks  to  the  future  and  the  blessings  in 
store  for  Abram  and  his  posterity. 

2.  In  this  verse  and  the  one  following  an  objection  raised  by 
Abram  is  repeated  in  very  similar  words.  The  repetition  is  explained 
by  the  composite  character  of  the  paragraph.  This  is  generally  con- 
ceded ;  but  there  is  difference  of  opinion  on  the  question  to  which  of 
the  sources  the  two  versions  respectively  should  be  referred,  and  it 
seems  impossible  to  find  an  unobjectionable  answer.  O  Lord  GOD. 
When  the  name  Yahiveh  is  preceded  by  the  word  Lord,  the  Jews  do 
not  substitute  for  it  another  Lord,  but  God,  and  the  English  translators 
have  followed  their  practice,  putting  this  substitute  also  into  capitals 
to  indicate  that  the  Hebrew  has  Yahweh.  In  this  case  the  Yahweh 
(God)  seems  to  be  an  addition.  He  that  shall  be  possessor  of  my 
house;  my  heir.  The  word  rendered  heir  (meshek),  used  only  in 
this  passage,  is  a  play  upon  the  name  Dammesek,  Damascus.  The 
combination  Dammesek  Eliezer  is  a  literal  transcription  of  the  original, 
which,  however,  can  hardly  mean  anything  but  Eliezer  of  Damascus 
or  the  Damascene  Eliezer,  and  should  have  been  so  rendered.  The 
person  here  named  is  probably  the  steward  whom  Abram  sent  to 
Mesopotamia  to  get  a  wife  for  Isaac.  See  24  :  2  f.  Lot  is  ignored. 
This  seems  the  best  that  can  be  done  with  the  present  text.  Perhaps 
it  is  corrupt,  as  many  have  maintained,  the  most  recent  suggestion 
(Bewer)  being  that  the  Hebrew  words  rendered  and  he  ...  house 
originally  meant  and  sons  I  have  sought,  that  Dammesek  is  a  gloss, 
and  that  the  name  Eliezer  is  a  mistake  for  the  Hebrew  of  I  have  no 
seed. 

123 


GENESIS 

E  5.  And  he  brought  him  forth  abroad,  and  said,  Look  now 
toward  heaven,  and  °tell 1  the  stars,  if  thou  be  able  to 
tell 1  them :  and  he  said  unto  him,  So  shall  thy  seed  be.  | 

j     6.   And  he  believed  in  the  LORD,  and  °he  counted  it  to  him 

7.  for  righteousness.     And  he  said  unto  him,  °I  am  2  the 
LORD  2  that  brought  thee  out  *  of  °Ur 3  of  the  Chaldees,f 
to  give  thee  this  land  to  inherit  it.     And  he  said,  O  Lord 

8.  GOD,    °whereby  shall  I  know  that  I  shall  inherit  it? 

9.  And  he  said  unto  him,  Take  me  an  heifer  of 4   °three 
years  old,  and  a  she-goat  of 4  °three  years  old,  and  a 
ram  of4  three  years  old,   and  a  °turtledove,   and  a 

10.   young  °pigeon.     And  he  took  him  all  these,  and  di- 
vided them  in  the  midst,  and  laid  °each  half  over  against 

1  SV  number.      »  Gr.  God.       3  Gr.  the  land.       •*  SV  om. 


5.  Tell  the  stars.     It  was  therefore  evening,  as  in  v.  i.    On  the 
figure,  see  22  :  17. 

6.  He  counted  it  to  him  for  righteousness;  the  condition  of  divine 
favor.     See  Ps.  106  :  31;    Rom.  4  :  i  ff. 

7.  I  am  the  LORD.    This  is  one  of  the  places  where  the  substitu- 
tion of  the  Lord,  which  is  not  a  name,  for  Yahiveh  is  especially  un- 
satisfactory.    The  place  from  which  Abram  migrated,  according  to 
the  Judean  narrative,  was  Mesopotamia.     Hence  tJr  of  the  Chaldees 
must  here  have  been  substituted  for  the  house  of  thy  father  or  some- 
thing of  the  sort. 

8.  Whereby  shall  I  know?     At  first  sight  this  question  seems  to 
imply  lack  of  faith,  and  therefore  to  conflict  with  v.  6.    This  diffi- 
culty is  sometimes  met  by  removing  vs.  1-6  to  the  end  of  the  chapter. 
Perhaps,  however,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  v.  6  is  of  the  nature  of  a 
parenthesis,  and  that  the  idea  of  possessing  the  land  of  Canaan  was 
a  second  and  greater  strain  upon  the  patriarch's  faith.     See    Ex. 
4  :  i  ff. ;   Jud.  6 ;    17  ff. ;    2  Kgs.  20  :  6  ff. 

9.  Three  years  old ;  fully  grown.    The  turtledove  is  very  common  iri 
Palestine.    The  pigeon  is  apparently  the  only  bird  reared  for  food 
among  the  Hebrews.    This  is  a  complete  list  of  the  animals  custom- 
arily offered  in  sacrifice. 

10.  Each  half  over  against  the  other.    The  meaning  would  be 
clearer  if  the  phrase  had  been  rendered  the  parts  of  each  the  one  over 
against  the  other.    The  birds,  because  they  were  small,  divided  he  not, 

124 


GENESIS 


11.  the  other:    but  the  birds  °divided  he  not.     And  the 
birds  of  prey  came  down  upon   °the  carcases,1   and 

12.  °Abram  drove  them  away.  |  And  when  the  sun  was 
going  down,  a  °deep  sleep  fell  upon  Abram;    and,  lo, 

13.  a  °horror  of  great  darkness  fell  upon  him.     And  he 
said  unto  Abram,  Know  of  a  surety  that  thy  seed  shall 
be  2  a  stranger 2  °in  a  land  that  is  not  theirs,  and 3  shall 
serve  3  them ;  and  they  shall  afflict 4  them  °four  hundred 

14.  years;  and  also  that  nation,  whom  they  shall  serve,  will 
I  judge:  and  afterward  shall  they  come  out  °with  great 

1  Gr.  adds,  their  parts.      •  SV  sojourners.      *  Gr.  they  shall  afflict.      •*  Gr.  enslave 
them  and  humble. 

but  placed  them  over  against  each  other  as  if  they  were  the  parts  of  a 
single  animal.  See  Lev.  i  :  17.  The  object  of  this  arrangement  in 
two  rows,  with  a  space  between  them,  was  to  permit  the  passage  of  the 
parties  to  the  covenant  between  them.  See  Jer.  34  :  18  f. 

11.  The  exposure  of  a  dead  animal  in  Palestine,  where  birds  of  prey 
are  found  in  many  species  and  great  numbers,-  immediately  brings 
them  together  by  hundreds.     Hence  the  proverb,  "  Wheresoever  the 
carcase  is,  there  will  the  eagles  (vultures)  be  gathered  together."     See 
Mt.  24  :  28.    The  carcases ;  or,  as  the  Greek  Version  explains,  the  sun- 
dered parts.    Abram  drove  them  away ;  preserving  the  strange  display 
undisturbed  until  Yahweh  was  pleased  to  reveal  himself.     See  2  Sam. 
21  :  10. 

12.  The  continuation  of  this  simple,  but  impressive,  description  is 
found  in  v.  17.     In  v.  12  the  compiler  has  undertaken  to  add  to  the 
effect ;  but  in  his  deep  sleep  and  horror  of  great  darkness,  i.e.,  dense 
and  dreadful  darkness,  he  overshoots  the  mark.     See  Jb.  33  :  15. 

13.  In  this  verse  Abram  is  again  dreaming,  but  this  and  the  next 
three  verses  seem  to  be  merely  an  expansion  of  v.  i.     In  a  land  that 
is  not  theirs ;  Egypt.     Four  hundred  years ;  apparently  an  error,  or  a 
round  number,  for  the  four  hundred  and  thirty  years  of  Ex.  12  :  40, 
where,  however,  according  to  the  Samaritans  and  the  Greek  Version, 
the  given  number  covers  the  whole  period  from  the  migration  of  Abram 
to  the  Exodus.    The  actual  duration  of  the  sojourn  of  the  Hebrews 
in  Egypt,  if  they  removed  to  that  country  while  it  was  under  the  domi- 
nation of  the  Hyksos  (1580  -f)  and  did  not  return  until  toward  the  end 
of  the  thirteenth  century  B.C.,  must  have  been  as  great  as  this  passage 
makes  it. 

14.  With  great  substance.     See  Ex.  12  :  36. 


I5  :  15  GENESIS 


15.  substance.     But  °thou  shalt  go  1  to  thy  fathers  in  peace ; 

1 6.  thou  shalt  be  buried  in  °a  good  old  age.     And  °in  2  the 
.  fourth  generation  they 2  shall  come  hither  again:  for  the 

J     17.   iniquity  of  °the  Amorite  is  not  yet  full.      Andit  came  to 

pass,  that,  °when  the  sun  went  down,  3  and  it  was  dark,3 

behold  °a  smoking  furnace,  and  a  °flaming  torch  that 

18.   passed  between  these  pieces.     In  that  day  the  LORD 

1  Syr.  Tar.  be  gathered.       *  Heb.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  om.       3  Gr.  there  was  a  flame. 

15.  Thou  shalt  go  to  thy  fathers.     See  the  parallel  expressions, 
sleep    with  .  .  .  fathers    (47  :  31)    and    be    gathered    to  .  .  .  people 
(25  :  8).    These  expressions  do  not  in  themselves  imply  a  belief  in 
existence  after  death,  but,  since  they  are  used  of  persons  who  were  not 
buried  with  their  kindred,  it  seems  fair  to  conclude  that  they  refer  to 
the  assemblage  of  the  departed  in  Sheol.     See  Dt.  31  :  16.     A  good 
old  age.    On  the  age  of  Abram  at  his  death,  see  25  :  7. 

16.  In  the  fourth  generation  they  shall  come  ;  lit.  the  fourth  genera- 
tion shall  come.    This  prediction  was  fulfilled,  according  to  Ex.  6  :  16 
ff.,  where  Moses  is  the  fourth  from  Jacob.     If,  however,  the  author 
of  this  verse  had  that  passage  in  mind,  he  must  have  ignored  the 
details  there  given ;  for,  according  to  it,  Levi,  Kohath,  and  Amrain, 
the  progenitors  of  Moses,  lived  respectively  only  a  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven,  a  hundred  and  thirty-three,  and  a  hundred  and  thirty-seven 
years,  and,  if  Jacob  was  a  hundred  and  thirty  (47  :  9),  Levi  must  have 
been  well  along  in  years  when  the  family  went  to  Egypt.     Perhaps  a 
generation  is  here  reckoned  at  a  hundred  years,  which  it  would  have 
been  had  Abram's  successors  been  denied  offspring  as  long  as  he  was. 
This  is  not  satisfactory,  but  it  is  the  best  that  can  be  done  with  what 
seems  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  reconcile  the  two  passages  from 
Exodus  above  cited.     The  Amorite  here  denotes  the  original  inhabit- 
ants of  Palestine,  as  it  regularly  does  in  the  Ephraimite  narrative. 
See  48  :  22  ;   but  also  14  :  7. 

17.  This  verse  continues  v.  u.     When  the  sun  went  down,  and 
the  vultures  had  withdrawn,  Abram's  vigil  was  rewarded.     He  saw 
a  smoking  furnace,  a  portable  stove  full  of  burning  fuel.     The  flam- 
ing torch  is  not  a  second  object,  but  a  second  attempt  to  describe 
the  same  object.      The  sense,  therefore,  is,  as   it  were,  a   smoking 
furnace  or  a  burning  torch.     The  fire  thus  described  represents  the 
person  Yahweh,  who  alone  takes  part  in  the   ceremony,  and   who 
thereby  makes  oath  to   his   promise.     The  animals,  then,  are  not  a 
sacrifice,  but  symbolical  of  the  fate  that  the  one  who  passes  between 
them  invites  if  he  keep  not  his  word. 

126 


GENESIS 

made  a  °covenant  with  Abram,  saying,  Unto  thy  seed 
have  I  given  this  land,  from  the  river  of  Egypt  unto  the 

19.  great  river,  the  river  Euphrates:  |   °the   Kenite,   and 

20.  °the  Kenizzite,  and  °the  Kadmonite,1  and  °the  Hittite, 

21.  and  °the  Perizzite,  and  °the  Rephaim,  and  °the  Amorite, 
and  °the  Canaanite,  and  °the  Girgashite,2  and  °the 
Jebusite. 

1  Gr.  Kdmonite.      3  Sam.  adds,  and  the  HiviU. 

18.  The  covenant  here  described,  like  that  of  9  :  8  ff.,  is,  strictly 
speaking,  a  one-sided  agreement;   but,  of  course,  it  is  understood  that 
Abram  will  maintain  the  attitude  and  character  in  view  of  which 
Yahweh  was  disposed  to  bestow  upon  him  the  Promised  Land.    The 
southern  limit  of  the  country  cannot,  as  one  might  infer  from  the 
phraseology  used,  be  the  Nile,  but  must  be  Wady  el-Arish,  which 
empties  into  the  Mediterranean  about  fifty  miles  southwest  of  Gaza, 
and  is  elsewhere  called  "  the  brook  of  Egypt."     See  Josh.  15  :  4. 

19.  The  list  of  names  that  follows  recalls  that  of  10  :  16  ff.,  but 
only  three  of  those  there  found  are  repeated  in  this  passage.    The 
following  are  new :   the  Kenite  represents  a  tribe  that  had  its  home 
in  southern  Palestine  and  the  desert  adjoining.     See  i  Sam.  27  :  10  ; 
30  :  29.     A  branch  of  it,  however,  found  its  way  to  the  northern  part 
of  the  country.     See  Jud.  4  :  17  ff.     They  do  not  belong  in  this  list, 
for,  according  to  Jud.  i  :  16,  they  came  into  Palestine  proper  with  the 
Hebrews,  and,  to  judge  from  such  passages  as  Jud.  4:17  ff.,  were 
always  friendly  to  the  chosen  people.     The  same  seems  to  be  true  of 
the  people  to  whom  is  given  the  name  the  Kenizzite,  and  from  whom 
the   heroic  Caleb   sprang.     See   Josh.    15  :  17;    Jud.    i  :  13.    Their 
original   home   seems  to  have  been  in  Edom.     See  36  :  n,  42.     The 
Kadmonite  is  perhaps  another  name  for  "  the  sons  of  the  east,"  who, 
in  Jud.  7:12,  are  associated  with  the  Midianites  and  the  Amalekites. 
They  may  be  located  east  and  northeast  of  Edom. 

20.  On  the  Hittite,  see  10  :  15 ;   on  the  Perizzite,   13  :  7;  and  on 
the  Rephaim,   14  :  5. 

21.  In  10  :  16  the  Amorite  is  represented  as  a  branch  of  the  Ca- 
naanite.     Here  perhaps  the  Canaanite  is  the  lowlander  in  distinc- 
tion from  the  Amorite,  or  highlander.     See  10  :  15  f.,  where  various 
branches  of  the   Phoenicians  are  enumerated.      On  the   Girgashite 
and  the  Jebusite,  see  10  :  16.     The  absence  of  the  Hivite  is  noticeable. 
The  omission  is  supplied  in  the  Samaritan  text  and  in  some  manu- 
scripts of  the  Greek  Version.     See  10  :  17.    The  other  passages  in 
the  Pentateuch  in  which  the  various  tribes  of  the  country  are  more 

127 


GENESIS 


P  16.       Now  Sarai  °Abram's  wife  bare  him  no  children:  | 

J  and  she  had  an  handmaid,  °an  Egyptian,  whose  name 

2.   was  Hagar.     And  Sarai  said  unto  Abram,  Behold  now, 

the  LORD  hath  restrained  me  from  bearing;*  go  in,  I 

pray  thee,  unto  my  handmaid;   °it  may  be  that  I  shall 

obtain   children   by  her.     And    Abram    hearkened  to 

P     3.   the  voice  of  Sarai.  |  And  Sarai  Abram's  wife  took 

Hagar  the  Egyptian,  her  handmaid,  after  Abram  had 

dwelt  °ten  years  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  gave  her  to 

or  less  completely  enumerated  are:  Ex.  3  :  8 ;  9  :  17  ;  13  :  5  ;  23  :  23, 
28;  33  :  2;  34  :  n;  Dt.  7  :  i ;  20  :  17.  See  also  Josh.  3  :  10;  9:1; 
ii  :  3  ;  12:8;  24  :  ii. 

(b)  The  flight  of  Hagar,  16  :  1-16.  Sarai,  being  denied  children, 
proposes  to  Abram  to  take  her  maid  as  a  concubine ;  but  when  Hagar, 
finding  that  she  is  to  become  a  mother,  forgets  her  respect  for  her 
mistress,  the  offended  wife  treats  her  so  harshly  that  she  flees  to  the 
desert,  where  the  angel  of  Yahweh  finds  her  and  reveals  to  her  the 
destiny  in  store  for  the  son  to  whom  she  is  to  give  birth.  The  chapter 
is  mainly  from  the  Judean  narrative  with  additions  from  other  sources. 

1.  Abram's  wife  bare  him  no  children.     Under  the  circumstances 
the  law  and  practice  of  the  time  permitted  him  to  take  another  woman, 
and  thus  satisfy  his  natural  desire  for  offspring.      There  was  only 
one  way  to  prevent  him  from  so  doing.     If  Sarai  gave  him  a  maid, 
and  she  had  children,  the  children  would  be  Sarai's,  and  Abram, 
according  to  the  code  of  Hammurabi   (§  144),  would  be  estopped 
from  taking  another  woman.      An  Egyptian.     The  intercourse  be- 
tween Palestine  and  Egypt  implied  in  the  presence  of  an  Egyptian 
slave  in  Abram's  family  is  a  matter  of  history. 

2.  Sarai  herself  offers  the  maid  to  Abram,  not  as  a  wife,  but  as  her 
substitute.     He  could  not  take  Hagar  without  Sarai's  consent.    The 
words  put  into  Sarai's  mouth,  it  may  be  that  I  shall  obtain  children, 
lit.  be  built  up,  by  her,  show  that  she  was  intent  on  maintaining  her 
own  position  as  a  wife.     See  30  :  3,  9. 

3.  The  parallel  account  from  the  Priestly  source  adds  two  points. 
First,  this  happened  after  Abram  had  been  ten  years  in  the  land ; 
i.e.,  when  he  was  eighty-five  years  of  age.     Observe,  also,  that  this 
author,  in  his  anxiety  for  the  reputation  of  Abram,  takes  pains  to  say 
that  Hagar  was  given  to  him  to  be  his  wife.     She  was  not,  however, 
his  wife  in  the  same  sense  as  Sarai ;   for  she  was  forbidden  to  make 
herself  the  equal  of  her  mistress,  and,  if  she  also  failed  to  have  children, 
her  mistress  could  sell  her  out  of  hand.     See  the  Code  of  Hammurabi, 
§§  146  f. 

128 


GENESIS  1 6  :  7 


4.  Abram  her  husband  °to  be  his  wife.  |  And  he  went  in   j 
unto  Hagar,  and  she  conceived:    and  when  she  saw 
that  she  had  conceived,  °her  mistress  was  despised  in 

5.  her  eyes.     And  Sarai  said  unto  Abram,  °My  wrong  be 
upon  thee :  I  gave  my  handmaid  into  thy  bosom ;  and 
when  she  saw  that  she  had  conceived,  I  was  despised  in 

6.  her  eyes:   the  LORD  judge  between  me  and  thee.     But 
Abram  said  unto  Sarai,  °Behold,  thy  maid  is  in  thy 
hand ;  do  to  her  that  which  is  good  in  thine  eyes.     And 
Sarai  °dealt  hardly  with  her,  and  she  °fled  from  her 

7.  face.     And  °the  angel  of  the  LORD  found  her  by  °a 
fountain  of  water  in  °the  wilderness,  1  by  the  fountain  l 

1  Gr.  mss.  Syr.  om. 


4.  It  is  evident  that  Hagar  committed  a  serious  offence  when,  in 
her  elation  over  the  prospect  of  becoming  a  mother,  her  mistress  was 
despised  in  her  eyes. 

5.  My  wrong  be  upon  thee  implies  that  Abram  had  not  been  as 
careful  as  he  might  have   been   to  recognize  Sarai's  position  and 
authority.     Her  appeal  to  Yahweh  shows  that  she  regarded  his  con- 
duct as,  not  only  unkind,  but  unlawful. 

6.  Behold,  thy  maid   is   in  thy  hand   is   merely  a  recognition  of 
Sarai's  rights  in  the  case.     She  was  entirely  within  those  rights  when 
she  dealt  hardly  with  Hagar ;  for  the  Code  of  Hammurabi,  although 
it  does  not  permit  a  mistress  to  sell  a  maid  who  has  borne  children, 
allows  her  to  "  put  a  mark  "  upon  one  who  has  forgotten  her  place, 
and  "  count  her   among  the  maidservants."      See  §  146.      It  was 
probably  such  menial  service  from  which  Hagar  finally  fled. 

7.  The  angel  of  the  LORD  is  here  mentioned  for  the  first  time  in 
the  Old  Testament.     He  is  sometimes,  as  in  24  :  7,  etc.,  clearly  dis- 
tinguished from  the  Deity,  and  sometimes,  as   in   v.   13,  identified 
with  him.     See  48  :  15  f.    The  angel  of  the  Lord  may  therefore  be 
described  as  a  form,  or  appearance,  in  which  the  Hebrews  believed 
the  Deity  to  have  manifested  himself  in  his  dealings  with  men.     He 
represents  the  stage  of  development  at  which  they  began  to  shrink 
from  the  familiarity  with  the  Deity  that  shows  itself  in  chapters  2  f. 
The  angel  of  God  is  still  later.     See  21  :  17,  where  he  calls  to  Hagar 
"  out  of  heaven."    That  the  angel  of  Yahweh  found  her  at  a  foun- 
tain, shows  that  she  was  at  home  in  the  wilderness,  here  the  desert 

K  129 


1 6  :  8  GENESIS 

8.   in  the  way  to  °Shur.1     And  he  2  said,  °Hagar,  Sarai's 

handmaid,  whence  earnest   thou?    and  whither  goest 

thou  ?     And  she  said,  I  flee 3  from  the  face  of  my  mis- 

R     9.   tress  Sarai.  |  And  the  angel  of  the  LORD  sajd  unto  her, 

°Return  to  thy  mistress,  and  submit  thyself  under  her 

10.   hands.     And  the  angel  of  the  LORD  said  unto  her, 

°I  will  greatly  multiply  thy  seed,  that  it  shall  not  be 

J    ii.   numbered    for    multitude.  |  And    the    angel    of    4  the 

LORD  4  said  unto  her,  Behold,  °thou  art  with    child, 

and  shalt  bear  a  son;    and  thou  shalt  call  his  name 

Ishmael,  because  °the  LORD  hath  heard  thy  affliction. 

12.   And  he  shall  be  as  °a  wild-ass  among  men;   °his  hand 


1  SJT.   Godor;   Tar.   Hagra.       *  Gr.  the  angel  of  the  Lord.      J  SV  am  fleeing. 
Gr.  mss.  God. 


of  et-Tih.  Comp.  21  :  15  ff.  Shur  is  described  in  25  :  18  as 
"  before,"  i.e.,  on  the  eastern  border  of,  "  Egypt."  See  also  i  Sam. 
15  :  7  ;  27  :  8.  The  idea  seems  to  be  that  the  woman  was  on  her  way 
back  to  her  own  country.  For  Shur  the  Syriac  Version  has  Godor, 
i.e.,  Gerar,  and  the  Targum  Hagra. 

8.  Hagar,    Sarai's  handmaid ;    a  form  of  address    calculated    to 
startle  the  fugitive  and  make  her  feel  that  it  would  be  useless  to  attempt 
to  conceal  her  purpose. 

9.  In  chapter  21  there  is  another  version  of  the  story  of  Hagar, 
according  to  which  she  did  not  leave  her  mistress  until  after  her  boy 
was    born.     The    compiler    interpreted    these    different    versions    as 
accounts  of  distinct  incidents  and  inserted  this  verse  and  the  following 
to  insure  that  the  reader  should  so  understand  them.     The  significant 
part  in  this  addition  is  the  command,  Return  to  thy  mistress.     It  is 
taken  for  granted  that  the  command  was  obeyed. 

10.  The  promise,   I  will  greatly  multiply  thy  seed,   betrays  the 
author.     See  12  :  14  ff.;    22  :  15  ff. 

11.  Thou  art  with  child;   another  startling  indication  to  Hagar  that 
it  is  no  ordinary  person  who  is  talking  with  her.     He  finally  reveals 
himself  as  a  manifestation  of  Yahweh  by  giving  her  a  name,  Ishmael, 
i.e.,  God  heareth,  for  her  boy,  and  with  it  the  assurance,  the  LORD  hath 
heard  thy  affliction. 

12.  The  character  given  to  Ishmael  reflects  the  opinion  of  the 
Hebrews  with  reference  to  the  Ishmaelites  when  the  story  took  shape. 

130 


GENESIS  16:14 


shall  be  against  every  man,    and  every  man's   hand 
against  him ;   and  he  shall  dwell  01  in  the  presence  of  1 

13.  all  his  brethren.    And  she  called  the  name  of  °the  LORD 
that  spake  unto  her,  2  Thou  art  °a  God  that  seeth  2 : 
for  she   said,    °3  Have   I  even  here  looked  after   him 

14.  that  seeth  me?3     Wherefore  the  well  was  called  Beer- 
°lahai-roi;  behold  it  is  between  Kadesh  4  and  °Bered.5  | 

1  m.  over  against  or  to  the  east  of;  SV  over  against.  *  m.  Gr.  Vg.  Thou  God  seest 
me;  Syr.  Thou  art  God  in  a  vision;  Tar.  Thou  art  a  God  that  seeth  all.  3  Gr.  For 
also  I  saw  face  to  face  him  who  appeared  to  me;  Vg.  Truly  here  I  saw  the  back  of  him 
who  saw  me;  Syr.  Lo  I  also  saw  a  vision  after  he  saw  me;  Tar.  I  also  saw  a  vision  after 
he  appeared  to  me.  *  Syr.  Tar.  Rekam.  5  Syr.  Godor;  Tar.  Hagra. 

He  is  to  be  a  wild-ass  among  men,  lit.  a  wild  ass  of  a  man,  as  untamed 
as  the  beast  that 

"  Scorneth  the  tumult  of  the  city, 

Neither  heareth  he  the  shoutings  of  the  driver."     Jb.  39  :  7. 

His  hand  against  every  man,  and  every  man's  hand  against  him ; 
a  veritable  freebooter.  In  the  presence  of,  better,  with  the  margin, 
over  against,  all  his  brethren ;  a  defiant  outlaw.  In  25  :  18,  which 
probably  belongs  in  part  to  this  chapter,  the  abode  of  Ishmael  is 
described  as  extending  "  from  Havilah  unto  Shur." 

13.  The  LORD  that  spake  unto  her ;  the  appearance  she  has  seen  and 
now  recognizes  as  a  manifestation  of  Yahweh.     The  name  by  which 
she  calls  him  is  capable  of  several  interpretations.     See  the  readings 
of  the  versions.     The  translation  given  in  the  text  makes  excellent  sense. 
Hagar,  surprised  that  even  Yahweh  should  have  followed  her  into  the 
desert,  calls  him  El-roi,  a  God  of  seeing,  or  that  seeth,  an  omniscient 
God.    The  phrase,  a  God  of  seeing,  however,  may  also  mean  a  God  who 
reveals  himself,  and  this  thought  seems  to  have  suggested  the  question, 
also  denoting  surprise,  Have  I  even  here,  in  the  desert,  looked  after, 
seen  the  back  of,  him  that  seeth  me?     See  Ex.  33  :  32.    The  meaning 
is  that  she  did  not  know  who  was  speaking  with  her,  or  take  note  of 
his  appearance,  until  he  was  leaving  her. 

14.  The  writer  finds  in  the  incident  here  narrated  an  explanation 
for  the  name  of  a  well  on  the  road  between  Palestine  and  Egypt.    To 
be  sure,  the  names  El-roi  and  Lahai-roi  are  not  identical,  but  since 
Lahai,  to  the  living  one,  may  be  used  of  God,  he  identifies  them.     The 
well  so  called  is  commonly  identified  with  AynMuweileh,  about  twelve 
miles  north  of  west  from  Ayn  Kadis,  i.e.,  Kadesh.     Bered,  according 
to  tradition,  is  the  modern  Halasah,  about  twelve  miles  west  of  south 
from  Beer-sheba ;    but  the  site  chosen  for  Beer-lahai-roi  would  not  be 


1 6  :  15  GENESIS 


P  15.  And  Hagar  °bare  Abram  a  son:  and  Abram  called 
the  name  of  his  son,1  which 2  Hagar  bare,  Ishmael. 
1 6.  And  Abram  was  fourscore  and  six  years  old,  when  Ha- 
gar bare  Ishmael  to  Abram. 

P  17.  And  when  Abram  was  ninety  years  old  and  nine, 
°*  the  LORD  f  appeared  to  Abram,  and  said  unto 
him,  I  am  °God  Almighty;  walk  before  me,  and  °be 

2.  thou  perfect.     And  I  will  make  my  covenant  between 

3.  me  and  thee,  and  will  multiply  thee  exceedingly.     And 
Abram  fell  on  his  face:    and  °God  talked  with  him, 

4.  saying,  As  for  me,  behold,  my  covenant  is  with  thee, 
and  thou  shalt  be  the  father  of  °a  multitude  of  nations. 

1  Syr.  adds,  -who  was  born  to  him.      '  SV  whom. 

between  this  one  and  Ayn  Kadis.  Perhaps,  since  both  the  Syriac 
Version  and  the  Targum  have  here  the  same  reading  as  in  v.  7,  the 
original  in  this  instance  also  was,  not  Bered,  but  Shur. 

15.  At  this  point  the  Jahvist's  story  suddenly  comes  to  an  end. 
It  originally  told  how  Hagar  at  Beer-lahai-roi  gave  birth  to  a  son,  who 
grew  up  in  the  desert  and  became  a  freebooter,  closing  probably  with 
25  :  1-4,  i8a.  The  compiler  removed  this  conclusion  and  substi- 
tuted for  it  one  taken  from  the  Priestly  narrative  according  to  which 
Hagar  remained  at  Hebron  and  bare  Abram  a  son.  This  work,  more- 
over, did  not  have  anything  corresponding  to  the  second  story  con- 
cerning Hagar,  but  took  for  granted  that  Ishmael  grew  to  manhood 
with  Isaac  in  his  father's  tent.  See  25  :  9. 

(c)  The  covenant  in  circumcision,  17  :  1-27.  The  Priestly  account 
of  the  covenant  of  God  with  Abram  differs  so  widely  from  that  of 
the  Judean  and  Ephraimite  narratives,  as  described  in  chapter  15, 
that  it  is  treated  by  the  compiler  as  a  separate  matter.  In  this  case 
it  is  not  a  personal  incident,  but  leaves  a  permanent  memento  in  the 
institution  of  circumcision. 

i.  The  LORD  is  a  mistake  for  God.  In  Ex.  6  :  3  the  Priestly  author 
makes  the  Deity  say  that  he  appeared  to  Abram  as  God  Almighty,  but 
was  not  known  to  the  patriarch  under  the  name  Yahweh.  The 
admonition,  be  thou  perfect,  has  reference  to  the  observance  of  the 
practice  of  the  rite  now  to  be  instituted. 

3.  God  talked  with  him.     Yet  neither  here  nor  in  v.  i  are  there  any 
details  to  help  one  to  realize  the  presence  of  the  Deity. 

4.  A  multitude  of  nations ;  an  enlargement  upon  the  original  prom- 

132 


GENESIS  17  :  10 


5.  °Neither  shall  thy  name  any  more  be  called  Abram, 
but  thy  name  shall  be  °Abraham;   for  the  father  of  a 

6.  multitude  of  nations  have  I  made  thee.     And  I  will 
make  thee  exceeding  fruitful,  and  I  will  make  nations 

7.  of  thee,  and  °kings  shall  come  out  of  thee.     And  I  will 
establish  my  covenant  between  me  and  thee  and  thy 
seed  after  thee  throughout  their  generations  for  an 
everlasting  covenant,  to  be  a  God  unto  thee  and  to  thy 

8.  seed  after  thee.     And  I  will  give  unto  thee,  and  to  thy 
seed  after  thee,  the  land  of  thy  sojournings,  all  the  land 
of  Canaan,  for  an  everlasting  possession;    and  °I  will 

9.  be  their  God.    And  God  said  unto  Abraham,  And  as 
for  thee,  °thou  shalt  keep  my  covenant,  thou,  and  thy 

10.  seed  after  thee  throughout  their  generations.  °This  is 
my  covenant,  which  ye  shall  keep,  between  me  and  you 
*  and  thy  seed  after  thee  f ;  °every  male  among  you 

ise  of  12  :  2.     By  the  nations  are  doubtless  meant  the  twelve  tribes 
of  Israel  and  the  descendants  of  Abram  through  Ishmael  and  Esau. 

5.  Neither  hardly  does  justice  to  the  original.    The  connective  has 
more  nearly  the  sense  of  therefore.     Because  Abram  is  to  be  the  father 
of  a  multitude  (Heb.  hamori]  God  ordains  that  his  name,  to  fit  his 
destiny,  shall  be  changed  to  Abraham.    Thus  the  name  Abraham, 
which  is  probably  only  another  form  of  Abram,  is  made  to  recall  and 
commemorate  the  great  promise  here  announced.     For  other  instances 
of  the  same  kind,  see  v.  15  ;  32  :  28 ;  Num.  13  :  16.    The  promise  of 
the  preceding  verse  is  repeated  for  the  purpose  of  making  the  allitera- 
tion between  hamon  and  Abraham  more  apparent. 

6.  Kings  shall  come  out  of  thee  ;  the  nations  in  question,  or  some  of 
them,  will  be  distinct  political  units. 

8.  I  will  be  their  God  comprehends  not  only  all  the  blessings  that 
have  been  enumerated,  but  any  others  that  can  be  desired. 

9.  Thou  shalt  keep  my  covenant.    The  promises  made  are  good 
only  so  long  as  certain  conditions  are  observed. 

10.  This  is  my  covenant ;  i.e.,  in  this  case,  the  requirement  of  the 
covenant;    every  male  among  you  shall  be  circumcised.     In  other 
words,  the  favor  of  God  is  here  made  to  depend  upon  the  practice 
of  circumcision,  a  doctrine  which  acquired  great  prominence  during 
the  Exile,  but  which  the  prophets  stoutly  repudiated.     See  Jer.  4:4; 
Dt.  10  :  16.    There  is  nothing  to  indicate  that  the  author  meant  to 


17:  ii  GENESIS 

11.  shall  be  circumcised.     And  ye  shall  be  circumcised  in 
the  flesh  of  your  °foreskin ;  and  it  shall  be  a  token  of  a 

12.  covenant  betwixt  me  and  you.     And  he  that  is  °eight 
days  old  shall  be  circumcised  among  you,  every  male 
throughout  your  generations,  he  that  is  °Dorn  in  the 
house,  or  °bought  with  money  of  any  stranger,  which 

13.  is  not  of  thy  seed.     He  that  is  born  in  thy  house,  and 
he  that  is  bought  with  thy  money,  must  needs  be  cir- 
cumcised :  and  °my  covenant  shall  be  in  °your  flesh  for 

14.  an    °everlasting    covenant.     And    °the  uncircumcised 
male  who  is  not  circumcised  in  the  flesh  of  his  foreskin,1 

1  Sam.  Gr.  add,  on  the  eighth  day. 

teach  that  the  practice  of  circumcision  began  with  Abraham.  In 
point  of  fact,  it  was  a  custom  among  the  Egyptians  from  the  earliest 
times,  and  it  prevailed  among  the  lesser  nations  surrounding  the 
Hebrews,  except  the  Philistines.  See  Jer.  9  :  26.  That  it  was  a  very 
early  custom  appears  from  the  fact  that  the  instrument  used  was 
originally  made  of  flint.  See  Ex.  4  :  25.  Foreskin.  Better,  for eskins. 

12.  Eight  days  old.    This  was  the  age  at  which  the  Hebrews 
usually  circumcised.     See  21:4;  Lev.  12:3;  etc.     In  other  countries 
it  was  customary  to  postpone  the  operation.     Indeed,  in  most  of  them 
it  was  not  performed  until  the  arrival  of  the  subject  at  the  age  of 
puberty.     It  then  marked  the  introduction  of  the  youth  into  the  social 
organism  and  his  preparation  for  marriage.     Here  it  is  a  religious 
ceremony  commemorating  the  reception  of  the  newly  born  infant  into 
the  community  of  the  worshippers  of  the  true  God.     Slaves,  also,  had 
to  be  circumcised,  whether  born  in  the  house  of  their  master  and  native 
to  the  country,  or  bought  with  money  of  any  stranger  and  foreign. 
This  requirement  made  the  family  a  unit  in  its  devotion  to  the  God 
of  Abraham.     A  free  foreigner  who  desired  to  enjoy  the  privileges 
of  the  Hebrew  religion  came  under  the  same  law.     See  Ex.  12  :  48. 
In  the  last  two  cases,  of  course,  the  rite  was  performed  when  the 
stranger,  bond  or  free,  entered  the  family  or  the  community. 

13.  My  covenant;  i.e.,  the  sign  of  the  covenant.     Your  flesh;  i.e., 
the  flesh  of  Abraham  and  his  descendants.     So,  also,  the  everlasting 
covenant  is,  strictly  speaking,  the  sign  of  such  a  covenant. 

14.  The  uncircumcised  male,  the  one  who,  through  the  negligence 
of  his  parents,  was  not  circumcised,  as  the  Samaritans  have  it,  on 
the  eighth  day,  and  since  he  arrived  at  the  age  of  responsibility  has 

134 


GENESIS  17  :  18 


that  soul  °shall  be  cut  off  from  his  people;    °he  hath 
broken  my  covenant. 

15.  And  God  said  unto  Abraham,  As  for  °Sarai  thy  wife, 
thou  shalt  not  call  her  name  Sarai,  but  °Sarah  shall  her 

1 6.  name  be.     And  I  will  bless  her,  and  moreover  I  will 
give  thee  a  son  of  her:   yea,  I  will  bless  her,1  and  she2 
shall  be  a  mother  of  nations;  °kings  3  of  peoples  shall  be 

17.  of    her.1     Then    °Abraham    fell    upon    his    face    and 
°laughed,  and  said  in  his  heart,  Shall  a  child  be  born 
unto  him  that  is  °an  hundred  years  old?    and  shall 

18.  Sarah,  that  is  ninety  years  old,  bear?    And  Abraham 
said  unto  God,  °Oh  that  Ishmael  might  live  before  thee ! 

1  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  him.      *  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  he.      *  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  and  kings. 


refused  to  submit  to  the  rite,  shall  be  cut  off  from  his  people.  The 
meaning  of  this  threat  is  not  quite  clear,  but  it  seems  to  be  that,  if 
the  offender  is  not  put  to  death  by  his  fellows,  he  will  be  destroyed 
by  divine  intervention.  See  Lev.  20  :  2  ff.  He  hath  broken  my 
covenant,  or,  which  amounts  to  the  same  thing,  refused  to  ratify  it. 

(d)  The  introduction  of  the  rite,  17  :  15-27.  God  next  reveals  to 
Abraham  that  Sarai  is  to  be  the  mother  of  the  future  seed,  promises 
to  bless  Ishmaei  as  well  as  the  coming  heir,  and  departs ;  whereupon 
Abraham  circumcises  all  the  males  of  his  family,  bond  and  free. 

15.  The  change  from  Sarai  to  Sarah  is  made  by  the  substitution  of 
one  form  of  the  feminine  ending  for  another. 

16.  It  was  fitting    that   she  should  be  called    Sarah   (Princess), 
since  kings  of  peoples  shall  be  of  her.    The  versions  have  the  mas- 
culine pronoun  throughout  the  latter  half  of  the  verse,  but  it  is  Sarah, 
and  not  Isaac,  whom  the  author  here  wishes  to  exalt. 

17.  Abraham  fell  upon  his  face  in  adoration  for  the  promised 
blessing,  but  in  his  heart  he  laughed,  half  doubting  the  joyful  tidings. 
Here  is  one  of  many  indications  of  a  tendency  to  give  increased  prom- 
inence to  Abraham.     In  the  older  narratives  it  is  Sarah  who  laughs 
(sahak)  and  thus  suggests  the  name  Isaac  (Heb.  Yishak).    See  18  : 12 
(J);   21  :  6  (E).     An  hundred  years  old.     The  earlier  narratives  do  not 
make  Abraham  and  his  wife  so  old  as  they  are  here  represented,  but 
old  enough  to  cease  to  expect  children.     See  18  :  n. 

18.  Oh   that   Ishmael   might   live   before   thee.    The   patriarch's 
joy  at  the  prospect  of  having  a  son  by  Sarah  is  tempered  by  the  sud- 

135 


17:  19 


GENESIS 


19.  And  God  said,1  Nay,  but  Sarah  thy  wife  shall  bear  thee 
a  son;  and  °thou  shalt  call  his  name  Isaac:   and  I  will 
establish  °my  covenant  with  him  for  °an  everlasting 

20.  covenant 2  for  his  seed  after  him.     And  as  for  Ishmael, 
°I  have  heard  thee:    behold,  I  have  blessed  him,  and 
will  make  him  fruitful,  and  will  multiply  him  exceed- 
ingly ;   °twelve  princes 3  shall  he  beget,  and  I  will  make 

21.  him  a  great  nation.     But  my  covenant  will  I  estab- 
lish with  Isaac,  which  4  Sarah  shall  bear  unto  thee  at 

22.  °this  set  time  in  the  next  year.     And  he  left  off  talking 

23.  with  him,  and  °God  went  up  from  Abraham.     And 
Abraham  took  Ishmael  his  son,  and  all  that  were  born 
in  his  house,  and  all  that  were  bought  with  his  money, 
every  male  among  the  men  of  Abraham's  house,  and 
circumcised  the  flesh  of  their  foreskin  in  the  selfsame 

24.  day,  as  God  had  said  unto  him.     And  Abraham  was 
ninety  years  old  and  nine,  when  he  was  circumcised  in 

25.  the  flesh  of  his  foreskin.     And  Ishmael  his  son  was  °thir* 

1  Heb.  mss.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  add,  to  Abraham.         *  Heb.  mss.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  add,  and. 
*  Gr.  nations.      *  SV  whom. 


den  realization  of  what  it  means  to  the  son  of  Hagar,  now,  according 
to  the  writer,  thirteen  years  old. 

19.  Thou  shalt  call  his  name  Isaac.     See  v.  17.     My  covenant ;  not 
a  new  one,  but  a  renewal  of  the  one  already  made  with  Abraham. 
The  last  clause  seems  to  be  defective.    The  original  reading,  to  judge 
from  v.  7,  must  have  been  an  everlasting  covenant  to  be  a  God  to  him 
and  to  his  seed  after  him. 

20.  I  have  heard  thee.    The  verb  heard  (shama)  is  a  play   upon 
the  name  Ishmael,  God  heareth.     See  16  :  n.     Twelve  princes;   the 
twelve  tribes  enumerated  in  25  :  12  ff. 

21.  This  set  time;  this  season. 

22.  God  went  up  from  Abraham  ;  one  of  the  rare  instances  in  which 
the  Priestly  narrator  allows  himself  to  use  so  anthropomorphic  lan- 
guage.    See  35  :  13. 

25.   Thirteen  years  old.     Comp.  21  :  14.    The  age  at  which  he  was 
circumcised  harmonizes  with  the  practice  of  the  Arabs. 

136 


GENESIS  18:3 


teen  years  old  when  he  was  circumcised  in  the  flesh  of 

26.  his  foreskin.     In  the  selfsame  day  was  Abraham  cir- 

27.  cumcised,  and  Ishmael  his  son.     And  all  the  men  of 
his  house,  those  born  in  the  house,  and  those  bought 
with  money  *  of  the  stranger,1 2  were  circumcised 2  3  with 
him.3 

18.       And  °4  the  LORD  4  appeared  unto  him  by  °the  oaks 5  j 
of  Mamre,  as  he  sat  in  °the  tent  door  in  the  heat  of 

2.  the   day;    and   he   lift  up  his  eyes  and  looked,  and, 
lo,  °three  men  stood  over  against  him :  and  when  he 
saw  them,  °he  ran  to  meet  them  from  the  tent  door, 

3.  and  °bowed  himself  to   the   earth,   and   said,    °Mya 
lord,  °if  now  I  have  found  favour  in  thy  7  sight,  pass  not 

1  SV  of  the  foreigner ;  Vg.  Syr.  and  also  the  strangers.  *  Gr.  Syr.  he  circumcised. 
s  Gr.  them;  Vg.  om.  «  Gr.  God.  s  m.  terebinths;  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  sing.  «  m.  O. 
i  Sam.  plu. 

(3)    The  mission  of  the  angels,  chs.  18  f. 

The  section  consists  of  a  series  of  incidents  definitely  located  and 
all  connected  with  a  single  mission  of  angels  of  Yahweh. 

(a).  A  meal  at  Mamre,  18  :  1-15.  Abraham  entertains  three 
strangers  from  whom,  as  they  sit  at  meat,  he  receives  a  promise  which 
now  amounts  to  a  repetition  of  that  of  17  :  15  ff.  This,  however, 
being  an  extract  from  the  Judean  narrative,  is  the  original  and  the 
other  is  the  copy.  It  is  the  Hebrew  version  of  the  story  of  Philemon 
and  Baucis.  See  Ovid,  Met.  626  ff. 

1.  The  LORD  appeared ;    but  in  disguise.     The  oaks  of  Mamre. 
See  13  :  18.     The  tent  door;   the  opening  made  by  throwing  back  a 
part  of  the  front. 

2.  Three  men  stood.    There  was  nothing  remarkable  about  them 
but  the  suddenness  of  their  appearance.     See  21:  19;  22:  13.    The 
attitude  they  took  indicated  that  they  wished  to  be  entertained.     He 
ran  to  meet  them  ;  with  all  the  eagerness  of  oriental  hospitality.    That 
he  bowed  himself  before  them  does  not  indicate  that  he  saw  in  them 
anything  but  men.     See  23  :  7;    33  :  3. 

3.  My  lord.     Better,  with  the  Samaritans,  My  lords.     It  mars  the 
story  to  make  Abraham  at  this  stage  distinguish  between  his  guests. 
If  now  I  have  found  favour ;  a  formula  required  by  oriental  politeness. 
See  33  :  8  f. 

137 


18  :  4  GENESIS 

4.  away,  I  pray  thee,1  from  thy  1  servant :  2  let  now  °a  little 
water  be  fetched,2  and  wash  3  your  feet,  and  rest  your- 

5.  selves  under  °the  tree:    and  4  I  will  fetch  4  °5  a  morsel 
of 5  bread,  and  °8  comfort  ye  your  heart 8;  after  that  ye 
shall  pass  on 7 :  8  forasmuch  as  8  ye  are  come  to  your 

6.  servant.     And  they  said,  So  do,  as  thou  hast  said.     And 
Abraham  hastened  into  the  tent  unto  Sarah,  and  said, 
Make  ready  quickly  °three  measures  of  °fine  *  meal, 

7.  knead  it,  and  make  °cakes.     And  Abraham  ran  unto 
the  herd,  and  fetched  °a  calf  tender  and  good,  and  gave 

8.  it  unto  the  servant ;  and  he  hasted  to  dress  it.     And  he 
took  °butter,  and  milk,  and  the  calf  which  he  had  dressed, 
and  set  it  before  them ;   and  °he  stood  9  by  them  under 

1  Sam.  plu.  a  Vg.  Syr.  /  will  fetch;  Tar.  Let  them  fetch.  3  Gr.  Let  one  wash; 
Syr.  /  will  wash.  •*  Syr.  take  ye.  *  Gr.  om.  6  SV  strengthen  ye  your  heart;  Gr. 
eat.  i  Gr.  adds,  your  way.  8  m.  for  therefore.  »  Tar.  served. 

4.  The  first  duty  of  a  host  was  to  provide  a  little  water,  that  his 
guests  might  wash  their  feet  on  laying  aside  their  sandals  before  enter- 
ing his  house.     The  tree.     The  word  so  rendered  is  often  used  collec- 
tively, and  should  be  translated  trees  if  the  plural  oaks  is  retained  in  v.  i. 

5.  A  morsel  of  bread.     Abraham  is  as  modest  as  he  is  generous. 
The  rendering  strengthen  ye  your  heart  (SV)  is  preferable  to  comfort, 
etc.;    but  strengthen  yourselves  would  be  better  than  either.     See  Ps. 
104  :  15. 

6.  Three  measures ;  three  seahs,  making  an  ephah,  which  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  equal,  at  the  least,  to  36.44  liters,  i.e.,  32.07. 
English,  or  38.5  American  quarts.    This  is  a  good  deal  of  flour,  but 
it  seems  to  have  been  the  quantity  used  for  a  generous  "  baking." 
See  Mt.  13  :  33 ;  also  Jud.  6:19;  i  Sam.  i  :  24.     Fine  meal.    The 
original  has  meal,  fine  meal,  the  latter  being  probably  a  correction  by 
some  one  who  thought  that  angels  should  be  served  with  bread  from 
the  flour  used  with  sacrifices.    The  cakes  were  doubtless  thin  disks 
of  unleavened  bread,  baked  on  hot  stones,  like  the  one  that  Elijah 
found  at  his  head  on  his  flight  from  Jezebel.     See  i  Kgs.  19  :  6. 

7.  A  calf  tender  and  good ;    the  choicest  meat  a  Hebrew  knew. 
•See  i  Sam.  28  :  24 ;  Lk.  15  :  23. 

8.  For  butter  read  leben,   a  preparation  from  milk,   thick,   like 
junket,  which  has  a  slightly  acid  taste  and  is  highly  esteemed  by 
orientals.     He  stood  by  them,  ready  to  serve  them,  as  is  still  the  custom 

138 


GENESIS  18  :  12 


9.   the  tree,  01  and  they  did  eat.1     And  they  said  unto  him, 
°Where  is  Sarah  thy  wife?     And  he  said,  °Behold,  in 

10.  the  tent.     And  °he  said,  I  will  certainly  return  unto 
thee2  °when  the  season  cometh  round;   and,  lo,  Sarah 
thy  wife  shall  have  a  son.     And  Sarah  heard  °in  the 

11.  tent  door,  which3  °was  behind  him.4     Now  °Abraham 
and  Sarah  were  old,  and  well  stricken  in  age;    it  had 
ceased  to  be  with  Sarah  after  the  manner  of  women. 

12.  And  °Sarah  laughed  within  herself,  saying,  After  I  am 
waxed  old  shall  I  have  pleasure,  my  lord  being  old  also  ? 


1  Gr.  transposes  this  clause  with  the  preceding.       *  Gr.  Syr.  add,  at  this  season. 
3  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.for  she.       *  Vg.  it;  Syr.  her. 


in  the  East.  And  they  did  eat.  The  Greek  Version  inserts  this  clause 
before  the  one  that  now  immediately  precedes  it,  and  this  seems  the 
natural  place  for  it.  If  the  present  arrangement  be  retained,  the  words 
may  be  rendered,  as  they  are  in  the  Vulgate,  And  when  they  had  eaten, 
and  attached  to  v.  9. 

9.  Where  is  Sarah?    Then,  as  now,  it  was  not  considered  proper 
for  women  to  show  themselves  to  strangers.     Nor  would  a  guest 
ordinarily  inquire  for  one.    The  question  in  this  case  was  probably 
meant  for  Sarah,  quite  as  much  as  for  Abraham.     Behold ;  a  fre- 
quent Hebrew  idiom  for  he  or  she  is. 

10.  He  said ;  one  of  the  three.     Perhaps,  however,  it  should  read, 
they  said,  as  in  v.  9.     When  the  season  cometh  round ;    lit.  at  the 
reviving,  recurring,  season,  i.e.,  as  in  17  :  21,  at  this  time  next  year. 
The  stress  is  apparently  on  the  return  of  the  angel,  or  angels.     This 
is  due  to  the  peculiarity  of  the  Hebrew  construction.    The  whole 
announcement  really  means,  When  I  return  to  thee  at  this  time  next 
year,  lo,  Sarah  thy  wife  shall  surely  have  a  son.     In  this  way  the  stress 
is  brought  upon  the  event  about  which  Abraham  and  his  wife  would 
naturally  be  sceptical.     In  the  tent  door;  just  inside  it.    This  being 
the  case,  she  was  invisible  to  the  speaker.    Moreover,  according  to 
the  Samaritan  text  and  the  Greek  Version,  she  was  behind  him. 

11.  Abraham  and  Sarah  were  old;    but  the  writer  does  not  give 
definite  figures.     Compare  17  :  17. 

12.  Sarah  laughed  within  herself.     What  she  said,  also,  she  said  to 
herself.    The  peculiar  form  of  the  question  in  the  original  requires 
some  such  rendering  as,  After  I  am  worn  out  and  my  lord  is  old,  I  am 
to  have  pleasure?! 

139 


i8  :  13  GENESIS 


13.  And  °the  LORD  said  unto  Abraham,  Wherefore  did 
Sarah  laugh,1  saying,  Shall  I  of  a  surety  bear  a  child, 

14.  which  2  am  old?     Is  anything  too  hard3  for  the  LORD? 
At  the4  set  time  I  will  return  unto  thee,  when  the 
season  cometh  round,  and  Sarah  5  shall  have  a  son. 

15.  Then  °Sarah  denied,  saying,  I  laughed  not;    °for  she 
was   afraid.     And   he 6  said,   Nay  7 ;    but   thou  didst 
°laugh. 

J   1 6.       And  the   °men  rose  up  from  thence,   and  looked 
°toward  Sodom  8 :    and  Abraham  went  with  them  to 


1  Gr.  adds,  within  herself.      *  SV  who.     3  m.  wonderful.     *  Gr.  Syr.  this,     s  Syr. 
adds,  thy  wife.      6  Vg.  the  Lord.      i  Sam.  adds,  to  her.       8  Gr.  adds,  and  Gomorrah. 


13.  One  of  the  three  now  reveals  himself  as  the  LORD  by  asking  why 
Sarah,  who  has  thus  far  made  no  sound,  laughed. 

14.  He  resumes  his  disguise,  however,  when,  in  this  verse,  he  speaks 
of  himself  in  the  third  person.    The  latter  half  of  the  verse  repeats 
and  confirms  the  promise  of  v.  10. 

15.  Sarah  denied   that  she  had   laughed  —  aloud.     Probably  she 
would  have  repudiated  her  inward  incredulity,  for  she  was  afraid. 
The  Lord  has  the  last  word,  and  that  is  the  word  laugh  (sahak)  the 
one  from  which  the  name  Isaac  is  derived. 

(b)  Abraham's  intercession,  18  :  16-33.  While  the  men  are  on 
their  way  to  Sodom,  the  Lord  reveals  to  Abraham,  before  they  sepa- 
rate, his  intention  to  destroy  that  city  and  Gomorrah  ;  whereupon  the 
patriarch  intercedes  for  them,  and  so  successfully  as  to  secure  a 
promise  that  neither  of  them  shall  be  destroyed  if  ten  righteous 
persons  can  be  found  in  it.  The  story  is  from  the  Judean  nar- 
rative, but  it  is  almost  entirely  by  a  comparatively  late  author  who 
felt  that  the  original  Jahvist,  in  his  account  of  the  destruction  of  the 
cities  of  the  Plain,  had  left  room  for  a  charge  of  injustice. 

16.  Abraham's  visitors  are  still  called  men,  although  one  of  them, 
according  to  v.  13,  has  revealed  himself  as  Yahweh.     Toward,  better, 
down  upon,  Sodom ;    for,  whether  this  city  was  at  the  north  or  the 
south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea,  it  was  about  4200  feet  below  them.    Tradi- 
tion identifies  the  spot  from  which  they  looked  with  Beni  Na'im,  a 
site  about  four  miles  east  of  Hebron.    The  latter  half  of  the  verse 
gives  one  the  impression  that  Abraham  continued  with  the  men  be- 
yond the  point  from  which  they  had  looked.    This,  however,  is  not  the 
case.    The  thought  of  the  author  would  be  clearer  if  it  were  rendered, 

140 


GENESIS  18  :  22 


17.  bring  them  on  the  way.  |  And  °the  LORD  said,  Shall  I   j» 

18.  hide  from  Abraham1  °that  which  I  do;    seeing  that 
Abraham   shall   surely   become   a   great   and   mighty 
nation,  and  all  °the  nations  of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed 

19.  in  him?     For  °I  have  known  him,  °to  the  end  that  he 2 
may  command  his  children  and  his  household  after  him, 
°that  they  may  keep  the  way 3  of  the  LORD,  to  do  justice 
and  judgement ;  to  the  end  that  the  LORD  may  bring  upon 

20.  Abraham  that  which  he  hath  spoken  of  him.  |  And  the   J 
LORD  said,  Because  4  °the  cry  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah 

21.  5  is  great,5  and  because 4  °their  sin  is  very  grievous ;  °I  will 
go  down  now,  and  see  whether  they  have  done  altogether 
according  to  the  cry  of  it,  which  is  come  unto  me ;  and 

22.  if  not,  I  will  know.     And  °the  men  turned  from  thence, 


1  Gr.  Syr.  add,  my  servant.  *  Sam.  Abraham.  *  Gr.  Syr.  plu.  *  m.  Verily; 
Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  om.  *  Syr.  hath  come  before  me. 

Abraham  going  with  them,  etc.,  and  clearer  still  if  it  were  inserted  be- 
tween the  two  clauses  of  the  first  half. 

17.  Here  begins  the  secondary  matter.     In  it  the  author  identifies 
one  of  the  men  with  the  LORD  and  ignores  the  other  two.     That 
which  I  do.    This  refers  to  the  destruction  of  the  cities,  which,  how- 
ever, according  to  v.  21  (J)  had  not  yet  been  decreed.    The  discrep- 
ancy, of  course,  is  due  to  the  difference  of  authorship. 

18.  The  nations  of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed.     Better,  since  it  is 
clear  from  the  next  verse  that  the  thought  of  the  author  does  not  go 
beyond  Abraham  and  his  descendants,  bless  themselves,  as  in  12:3. 

19.  I  have  known  him ;   chosen  him.     See  Am.  3  :  2.    The  con- 
struction to  the  end  that  makes  the  thing  described  a  prime  object 
of  desire  and  endeavor.     See  12  :  13.     That  they  may  keep;   more 
correctly,  and  they  may  keep. 

21.  This  verse  is  the  original  continuation  of  v.  16.  The  cry  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah ;  the  chorus  of  accusing  voices.  See  4  :  10. 
Their  sin ;  the  sins  of  which  they  are  accused. 

21.  I  will  go  down  now,  and  see ;  before  deciding  to  destroy  them. 
Compare  v.  17.    The  phraseology  recalls  n  :  i  ff. 

22.  The  men  originally  meant  all  three  of  Abraham's  guests,  and 
v.  33b,  the  proper  continuation  of  the  first  half  of  this  verse,  de- 
scribed Abraham's  course  after  they  had  left  him.     Now,  however, 

141 


1 8  :  23  GENESIS 


and  went  toward  Sodom:  |  but  °Abraham  stood  yet 

23.  before  the  LORD.    And  °Abraham  drew  near,  and  said, 
Wilt  thou  1  consume  °the  righteous  with  the  wicked  ?  2 

24.  Peradventure  there  be  3  °fifty  righteous  within  the  city : 
wilt  thou  consume  4  and  not  spare  the  place  for  the  fifty 

25.  righteous  that  are  therein?     That  be  far  from  thee  to 
do  after  this  manner,  °to  slay  the  righteous  with  the 
wicked,  that  so  the  righteous  should  be  as  the  wicked  : 
that  be  far  from  thee:    °shall  not  the  Judge  of  all  the 

26.  earth  do  right  ?    And  the  LORD  said,  If  I  find  in  Sodom 
°fifty  righteous  within  the  city,  then  I  will  spare  all  the 

27.  place  for  their  sake.     And  Abraham  answered  and  said, 
Behold  now,  I  have  taken  upon  me  to  speak  unto  the 


1  Syr.  adds,  in  (he  same  wrath.      *  Gr.  adds,  so  thai  the  righteous  shall  be  as  the 
•wicked.      3  SV  are.      *  Gr.  adds,  them;  Syr.  adds,  in  the  same  wrath. 


the  context  requires  that  the  words  be  interpreted  as  referring  to  the 
attendants  of  Yahweh,  since  Abraham  stood  yet  before  the  LORD. 

23.  Abraham    drew   near;     suddenly    assuming    an    active    part. 
The  righteous.     He  takes  for  granted  that  even  in  Sodom  there  are 
some  such;     and  this  is  the  ground  of   objection   to  the  original 
story. 

24.  He  at  first  shrewdly  puts  the  number  at  fifty,  high  enough  to 
make  it  for  the  time  being  a  consideration.    The  rendering  of  the 
latter  half  of  the  verse  is  confusing.    Transpose  and  read,  Wilt  thou 
consume  the  place,  and  not  spare  it  for  the  fifty  righteous,  etc.  ? 

25.  To  slay  the  righteous  with  the  wicked.     This  is  not  the  only 
alternative;  but  the  protest  is  a  fair  one  against  the  doctrine,  frequently 
illustrated  in  early  Hebrew  literature,  that  peoples  or  families  are 
treated  as  units.     See  Josh.  7  :  2  ff . ;  2  Sam.  24  :  10  ff.;   etc.     Shall 
not  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right?  a  bold  and  striking  presenta- 
tion of  the  thought  that  the  Deity  himself,  with  all  his  power,  is  not 
above  the  law  to  which  his  moral  creatures  are  amenable. 

26.  Yahwr-h  might  have  replied  by  saying  that  there  would  be  as 
little  justice  in  sparing   those  who  deserved   punishment  as  in  de- 
stroying those  who  had  not  offended,  but  he  allows  the  patriarch  to 
assume  a  cherished  doctrine  of  later  Judaism,  that  righteousness  may 
be  vicarious,  and  promises  to  spare  Sodom  for  the  sake  of  fifty  right- 
eous, if  they  can  be  found. 

142 


GENESIS  18  :  33 


28.  Lord,1  which2  am  but  dust  and  ashes:    peradventure 
there  shall  lack  °five  of  the  fifty  righteous:    wilt  thou 
destroy  all  the  city  for  lack  of  five  ?     And  he  said,  I  will 

29.  not  destroy  it,  if  I  find  there  forty  and  five.     And  he 
spake  unto  him  yet  again,  and  said,  Peradventure  there 
shall  be  forty  found  there.     And  he  said,  °I  will  not 

30.  3  do  it 3  for  the  forty's  sake.     And  he  said,  Oh  let  not 
the  Lord  be  angry,  and  I  will  speak :  peradventure  there 
shall  be  °thirty  found  there.     And  he  said,  I  will  not 

31.  3  do  it,3  if  I  find  thirty  there.     And  he  said,  Behold  now, 
I  have  taken  upon  me  to  speak  unto  the  Lord :   perad- 
venture there  shall  be  twenty  found  there.     And  he 

32.  said,  I  will  not  destroy  it  for  the  twenty's  sake.     And  he 
said,  Oh  let  not  the  Lord  be  angry,  and  I  will  speak  yet 
but  this  once:  peradventure  °ten  shall  be  found  there. 
And  he  said,  I  will  not  destroy  it  for  the  ten's  sake. 

33.  And  °the  LORD  went  his  way,  as  soon  as  he  had  left 
communing  with  Abraham:  |  and  °Abraham  returned 
unto  his  place. 

1  Heb.  mss.  LORD.      '  SV  who.      3  Sam.  Gr.  destroy. 

28.  The  assumed  doctrine  having  thus  been  accepted,  the  number 
of  the  righteous  becomes  a  minor  matter.     Still,  he  at  first  reduces  it 
by  only  five. 

29.  I  will  not  do  it,  or,  according  to  the  Samaritans  and  the  Greek 
Version,  I  will  not  destroy  it.     Better,  however,  because  less  confusing, 
I  will  refrain  from  destroying  it.     So,  also,  in  vs.  30,  31,  32. 

30.  This  time  Abraham,  emboldened  by  his  success,  makes  a  re- 
duction from  forty  to  thirty.     So,  also,  in  v.  32.- 

32.  Why  the  patriarch  stopped  with  ten  is  not  explained.    The 
Jewish  doctors  say  it  was  because  ten  constitute  a  legal  congregation 
(minyan),  or  because  Lot's  family  consisted  of  so  many  persons,  him, 
his  wife,  four  daughters,  and  four  sons-in-law. 

33.  The  LORD  went  his  way;  whither,  the  author  does  not  explain. 
The  latter  half  of  the  verse  is  the  proper  and  original  continuation  of 
22a.    That  is  to  say,  after  the  men,  all  three  of  them,  "  went  toward 
Sodom, "  Abraham  returned  unto  his  place,  viz.,  Hebron. 

143 


ip  :  i  GENESIS 

j  19.  And  °the  *  two  angels  f  came  to  Sodom  °at  even ; 
and  Lot  sat  °in  the  gate  of  Sodom :  and  Lot  saw  them, 
and  rose  up  to  meet  them ;  and  he  bowed  himself  with 

2.  his  face  to  the  earth ;  and  he  said,  Behold  now,  my  lords, 
turn  aside,  I  pray  you,  into  your  servant's  House,  and 
tarry  all  night,  and  °wash  your  feet,  and  ye  shall  rise  up 
early,  and  go  on  your  way.     And  they  said,  Nay,  but  °we 

3.  will  abide  in  the  street  all  night.     And  °he  urged  them 


The  full  intent  of  the  author  of  the  account  of  Abraham's  intercession 
will  appear  in  the  sequel.  Not  even  ten  righteous  persons  were  found 
in  Sodom;  hence  the  destruction  of  the  city,  after  the  rescue  of  Lot 
and  his  family,  was  justified. 

(c)  The  overthrow  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  19  :  1-28.  The  men 
who  visited  Abraham,  on  arriving  at  Sodom,  are  entertained  by  Lot;  but 
before  they  retire  to  rest  the  house  is  beset  by  the  inhabitants  demand- 
ing the  persons  of  the  strangers  for  impure  purposes;  on  account  of 
which  outbreak  of  violence  and  bestiality  Yahweh,  after  rescuing 
Lot  and  his  family,  destroys  the  corrupt  cities.  The  story  is  from  the 
Judean  narrative,  but  it  has  been  slightly  changed  to  bring  it  into 
harmony  with  the  additions  made  to  the  preceding  chapter. 

1.  The  two  angels.      In  18  :  22a  the  persons  who   left  Abraham 
are  called  men,  and  the  natural  inference  is  that  there  were  three  of 
them.     Hence,  it  is  probable  that  the  original  reading  here  was  the 
men.    They  reached  Sodom  at  even,  having  spent  the  afternoon  on  the 
way.    The  distance  from  Hebron  to  the  head  of  the  Dead  Sea,  by 
the  way  of  Bethlehem  and  Mar  Saba,  is  about  thirty-five  miles.     In 
the  gate;   or  in  the  open  space  just  inside  the  gate,  to  which  orientals 
resort  for  business  or  companionship.     See  23  :  10. 

2.  Wash  your  feet.    The  thought  would  be  clearer  if  the  preceding 
verb  had  been  rendered  tarry  for  the  night,  or  take  lodging;  then  it 
would  appear  that  the  act  here  described  is  to  be  performed  on  reach- 
ing the  house,  and  not  just  before  leaving  it  in  the  morning.    The 
same  result  would   be  obtained   by  transposing   and   reading  wash 
your  feet,  and  tarry  for  the  night.     See  18  :  4.    The  rendering,  We 
will  abide  in  the  street  all  night,  does  not  do  justice  to  the  original. 
Better,  We  will  spend  the  night  in  the  street,  the  emphasis  being  on 
the  word  street.    No  rudeness  is  intended.    Then,   as  now,  it  was 
doubtless  the  custom  in  Palestine  during  the  dry  season  to  sleep  in 
the  open  air.    Moreover,  the  oriental  loves  to  be  importuned. 

3.  He  urged  them  greatly.    The  word  here  used  is  the  same  that 
is  rendered  -pressed  in  v.  9,  which  implies  a  degree  of  violence.     And 

144 


GENESIS  19  :  9 


I 


greatly ;  and  they  turned  in  unto  him,  and  entered  into 
his  house;  and  he  made  them  a  feast,  °and  did  bake 
unleavened  bread,  and  they  did  eat.  But  *  °2  before 
they  lay  down,2  the  men  of  the  city,  *  even  the  men  of 
Sodom,f  compassed  the  house  round,  both  young  and 
old,  °all  the  people  from  every  quarter;  and  they  called 
unto  Lot,  and  said  unto  him,  Where  are  the  men  which  3 
came  in  to  thee  this  night  ?  bring  them  out  unto  us,  °that 
we  may  know  them.  And  Lot  went  out  unto  them  to 
the  door,  and  shut 4  the  door  after  him.  And  he  said,  I 
pray  you,  my  brethren,  °do  not  so  wickedly.  Behold 
now,  °I  have  two  daughters,  which  have  not  known 
man ;  let  me,  I  pray  you,  bring  them  out  unto  you,  and 
do  ye  to  them  as  is  good  in  your  eyes :  only  unto  these 
men  do  nothing 5 ;  forasmuch  *  as  they  have  come  under 
the  shadow  of  my  roof.  And  they  said,  °Stand  back. 


1  So  Vg.  Syr.;  Heb.  om.      »  Gr.  attaches  this  clause  to  v.  3.      iSVwho.      *  Sam. 
they  shut.      s  Gr.  no  evil.      *  m.  for  therefore. 

did  bake  unleavened  bread.     Better,  baking  unleavened  bread,  this 
process  being  required  for  an  extemporized  feast.     See  18  :  6. 

4.  Before  they  lay  down  illustrates  the  rapidity  with  which  news 
can  be  carried  in  an  oriental  city.     All  the  people;   so  corrupt  was  the 
place. 

5.  That  we  may  know  them.    The  practice  of  sodomy  was  one  of 
the  sins  for  which  Yahweh  destroyed  the  Canaanites  before  the  He- 
brews.    See  Lev.  20  :  23;    i  Kgs.  14  :  24. 

7.  Do  not  so  wickedly.    The  original  is  milder,  Do  no  evil.    Observe 
that  he  deprecates  the  thing  proposed,  not  so  much  because  it  is  vile 
in  itself,  but  because  it  is  a  violation  of  the  rights  of  persons  who  are 
at  the  same  time  his  guests  and  the  guests  of  the  city. 

8.  I  have  two  daughters.    This  proposal  shows  how  sacred  among 
the  early  Hebrews  were  the  obligations  of  hospitality,  and  how  lightly 
in  comparison  they  esteemed  the  virtue  of  their  women. 

9.  The  first  speech,  Stand  back,  is  clearly  addressed  to  Lot.    The 
next,  at  first  sight,  seems  to  be  addressed  by  some  one  in  the  crowd 
to  the  rest;    but  the  fact  that  there  follow  other  words  to  Lot  makes 
this  interpretation  doubtful.     It  is  better  —  and  the  structure  of  the 
original  favors  such  an  explanation  —  to  treat  it  as  a  proverb  aimed 

L  145 


ig  :  10  GENESIS 


1  And  they  said,1  This  one  fellow  came  in  to  sojourn, 
and  he  will 2  needs  be  a  judge:  now  will  we  deal  worse 
with  thee,  than  with  them.  And  3  they  pressed  sore 
upon  the  man,  *  even  Lot,f  and  3  drew  near  to  break 

10.  thedoor.     B  ut  the  men  put  forth  °their  hand,  and  brought 

11.  Lot  into  the  house  to  them,  and  shut  to  the  door.     And 
they  smote  the  men  that  were  at  the  door  of  the  house 
with  °blindness,  both  small  and  great:    so  that  they 

12.  wearied  themselves  to  find  the  door.     And  the  men 
said  unto  Lot, 4  Hast  thou  here  any  besides  ?  4  °*son  in 
law,  and  5  f  thy  sons,  and  thy  daughters,  and  Whom- 
soever thou  hast  in  the  city ;   bring  °them  °  out  of  the 

13.  place:  for  °we  will  destroy  this  °place,  because  the  cry 
of  them  is  waxen  great  before  the  °LORD  ;  and  the  LORD 

1  Gr.  om.     a  Sam.  adds,  also.     3  Syr.  Lot  struggled  stoutly  with  the  men  and  they. 
4  Syr.  What  doest  thou  here?      *  Heb.  mss.  Sam.  om.      6  Heb.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  om. 

at  Lot  as  his  assailants  close  in  upon  him.  So  understood  it  may  be 
rendered  rather  freely,  A  man  came  alone  to  sojourn,  and  remained 
to  play  the  judge  !  The  Greek  Version  has  the  second  person  through- 
out the  verse,  thus  getting  a  smooth  rendering  and  a  satisfactory  sense. 
Thou  earnest  to  sojourn,  not  also  to  play  the  judge.  Similarly  the 
Vulgate.  The  language  used  implies  that  Lot  had  more  than  once 
ventured  to  correct  his  neighbors. 

10.  Their  hand,  for  their  hands,  is  especially  bad  English  in  this 
connection. 

11.  Blindness;    here,  as  in  2  Kgs.  6  :  18,  a  miraculous,  but  tem- 
porary, suspension  of  vision. 

12.  The  awkwardness  of  the  connection  between  the  term  son  in 
law  and  the  context  indicates  that  it  was  borrowed  from  v.  14.     The 
sons-in-law  of  that  verse  are  here  included  in  the  general  term  whom- 
soever.    Omit,  also,  the  word  them,  which  is  not  in  the  original,  and 
read,  Thy  sons  and  thy  daughters,  and  -whomsoever  thou  hast  in  the 
city,  bring  out  of  the  place. 

13.  We  will  destroy  this  place.     Here  for  the  first  time  the  men 
reveal  the  object  of  their  mission.    Observe,  however,  that  they  all 
subordinate  themselves  to  Yahweh.  The  rendering  would  be  improved 
by  inserting  the  semicolon  after  place  and  the  comma  after  the  first 
LORD,  and,  with  the  Latin  versions,  changing  the  final  it  to  them. 

146 


GENESIS  ig  ;  17 

14.  hath  sent  us  to  destroy  it.     And  °Lot  went  out,  and 
spake  unto   his   sons   in   law,  °which 1   married 2   his 
daughters,  and  said,  Up,  get  you  out  of  this  place;  for 
the  LORD  will  destroy  the  city.     But  he  seemed  unto 

15.  his  sons  in  law  as  °one  that  mocked.     And  °when  the 
morning  arose,  then  °the  angels  *  hastened  Lot,  saying, 
Arise,  take  thy  wife,  and  thy  two  daughters,  °which  * 
are  here  3 ;   lest  thou  be  consumed  in  the  °iniquity 4  of 

16.  the  city.     But  he  lingered;  and  the  men  laid  hold  upon 
his  hand,  and  upon  the  hand  of  his  wife,  and  upon  the 
hand  of  his  two  daughters;    the  LORD  being  merciful 
unto  him :  5  and  °they  brought  him  forth,  and  set  him 

17.  without  the  city.5    And  6  it  came  to  pass,  when  they  had 
brought  °them  *  forth  abroad,  that 6o  he  7*  said,  Escape 
for  thy  life ;  look  not  behind  thee,  neither  stay  thou  in  all 
the  Plain;   escape  to  °the  mountain,  lest  thou  be  con- 

1  SV   who.      3  m.  Vg.  were  to  marry.       3  Gr.  a$ds,  and  go  forth.       *  m.  punish- 
ment; Gr.  Syr.  iniquities.      s  Gr.  om.       6  Vg.  om.       '  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  they. 

14.  Lot  went  out;    into  the  city.     Which  (SV  who)  married  his 
daughters.    The  original,  lit.,  the  takers  of  his  daughters,  is  ambigu- 
ous;  but  the  margin,  which  follows  the  Vulgate,  is  probably  correct  in 
rendering  it,  who  were  to  take  his  daughters.     One  that  mocked;  or, 
better,  one  that  jested.     Not  realizing  the  sinfulness  of  their  native 
city,  they  had  no  ground  for  expecting  retribution. 

15.  When  the  morning  arose;  when  the  day  dawned,  for,  according 
to  v.  23,  the  sun  had  not  yet  risen.     The  angels.    The  original  reading 
was  doubtless  the  men,  as  in  vs.  10,  12,  and  16.     Which  are  here; 
at  home  and  as  yet  unmarried.    The  Greek  Version  adds,  and  go 
forth,  and  it  is  probable  that  this  was  the  original  reading.    The  He- 
brew word  here  rendered  iniquity  also  means  punishment,  and  the 
latter  is  the  preferable  translation  in  this  connection. 

16.  They  brought  him  forth.    The  reader's  attention  is  directed  to 
Lot,  perhaps  because  it  was  he  who  caused  the  delay.     It  is  also  pos- 
sible that  originally  he  alone  was  mentioned  in  the  preceding  sentence. 

17.  Here,  again,  the  pronouns  are  confusing.     The  original  read- 
ing must  have  been  him  for  them  and  they  for  he  before  said,  unless, 
as  some  claim,  vs.  17-22  are  from  a  secondary  source.     The  moun- 

147 


ig  :  18  GENESIS 


1 8.  sumed.     And  Lot  said  unto  them,  Oh,  not  so,  01  my 

19.  lord  *:   behold  now,  °thy  servant  hath  found  grace2  in 
thy  sight,  and  °thou  hast  magnified  thy  mercy,  °which 
thou  hast  shewed  unto  me  in  saving  my  life;    °and  I 
cannot  escape  to  the  mountain,  lest  evil 3  overtake  me, 

20.  and  I  die :  behold  now,  this  city  is  near  to  flee  unto,  and 
°it  is  a  little  one :  Oh,  let  me  escape  thither,  (is  it  not  a 

21.  little  one?)  and  my  soul  shall  live.    And  he  said  unto 
him,  See,  °I  have  accepted  thee  concerning  this  thing 
also,  that  °I  will  not  overthrow  the  city  of  which  thou 

22.  hast  spoken.     Haste  thee,  escape  thither;  for  I  cannot 
do  any  thing  till  thou  be  come  thither.     °Therefore  the 

*  m.  Gr.  Tar.  O  Lord;   Syr.  my  lords.      •  SV  favor.      *  m.  the  evil. 

tain  is  not  a  single  peak,  but  the  highlands  east  of  the  Jordan  and  the 
Dead  Sea. 

18.  My  lord.    The  Hebrew  word  so  rendered,  which  is  pronounced 
as  if  it  meant  Lord,  is  capable  of  being  translated  My  lords,  as  it  is  in 
the  Syriac  Version;   but  the  singular  seems  to  be  required  by  v.  19. 

19.  Thy  servant;  as  if  Lot  now  saw  that  one  of  his  guests  was  Yah- 
weh  or  the  angel  of  Yahweh.     If  this  is  the  significance  of  the  singular, 
it  makes  against  the  view  cited  under  v.  17.     Thou  hast  magnified 
thy  mercy;  added  to  preceding  tokens  of  favor.    The  relative  clause, 
which  thou  hast  shewed  unto  me,  describes  these  tokens.     It  should 
therefore  be  followed,  as  well  as  preceded,  by  a  comma.     And  I  can- 
not escape.     Better,  But,  etc.     Lot's  plea  is  that  the  favor  shown  him 
in  the  past  will  have  been  in  vain  if  he  is  forced  to  attempt  to  escape  to 
the  highlands. 

20.  It  is  a  little  one;    lit.  It  is  a  trifle.    The  significance  of  the 
expression  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  Hebrew  word  for  trifle  (mis'ar) 
contains  the  consonants  of  the  name  of  Zoar  (So'ar). 

21.  I  have  accepted  thee;    granted  thy  request.     I  will  not  over- 
throw the  city.    These  words  reveal  the  speaker.     He  can  be  no  other 
than  the  one  who,  in  18  :  20  f.,  told  Abraham  that  he  was  on  his  way 
to  investigate  the  condition  of  the  cities  of  the  Plain. 

22.  Therefore  refers,  not  to  the  statement  just  made,  but  to  Lot's 
play  upon  its  name  in  v.  20.    On  the  position  of  Zoar,  which  evidently 
cannot  be  identified,  as  it  is  by  Tristram  (Land  of  Moab,   341   ff.), 
with  "  a  bald  spur  "  overhanging  the  Dead  Sea  west  of  Mt.  Nebo,  see 
13  :  10. 

148 


GENESIS 


19:27 


23.  name  of  the  city  was  called  °Zoar.     °The  sun  was  risen 

24.  upon  the  earth  when  Lot  came  unto  Zoar.     °Then  the 
LORD  rained  upon  Sodom  and  upon  Gomorrah  °brim- 

25.  stone  and  fire  from  the  LORD  out  of  heaven;   and  he 
overthrew  those  cities,  and  all  the  Plain,  and  all  °the 
inhabitants  of  the  cities,  and  °that 1  which  grew  upon 

26.  the  ground.    But  his  wife  looked   back  from  behind 

27.  °him,  and  °she  became  a  pillar  of  salt.     And  Abraham 
gat  up  early  in  the  morning  |  to  the  place  where  he  had  R 

1  Gr.  mss.  Vg.  all  that. 

23.  The  sun  was  risen  .  .  .  when  Lot  came.     Better,   The  sun 
rose  .  .  .  as  Lot  came. 

24.  The  connection  with  the  preceding  verse  would  be  closer  if 
the  first  words  of  this  one  were  rendered,  not  Then,  but  At  the  same 
time,  the  LORD  rained.     Brimstone  and  fire;  burning  brimstone.    See 
Ezek.  38  :  22;   Jb.  18  :  15.    There  is  no  mention  of  convulsions  of  the 
earth  or  eruptions  of  any  sort. 

25.  The  inhabitants  of  the  cities;   probably  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 
In  Dt.  29  :  23  '  22  Admah  and  Zeboim  are  associated  with  them,  but  in 
Hos.  ii  :  8  only  Admah  and  Zeboim  are  mentioned.     That  which 
grew  upon  the  ground;    the  vegetation  of  the  Plain. 

26.  This  verse  would  naturally  come  directly  after  v.  23.      If  it 
were  inserted  there,  one  would  not  have  to  look  for  the  antecedent  of 
the  pronouns  his  and  him  or  consider  whether  the  foolish  woman 
was  the  victim  of  a  special  outburst  of  the  divine  anger  or  perished  in 
the  general  overthrow.    The  fact  that  she  became  a  pillar  of  salt 
seems  to  favor  the  former  alternative;   yet,  see  Dt.  29  :  23  |  22.     Jo- 
sephus  says  of  this  pillar  (Ant.  I.  n  :  4),  "  I  have  seen  it;  for  it  still 
exists."  He  probably  had  in  mind  one  of  the  pinnacles  of  Jebel  Usdum, 
a  ridge  at  the  southwestern  corner  of  the  Dead  Sea,  seven  miles  long 
and  nearly  six  hundred  feet  high,  largely  composed  of  rock  salt;   for 
he,  too,  located  the  cities  of  the  Plain  at,  or  under,  the  southern  end 
of  the  Sea.     See  Baedeker,  203  f.     If,  however,  the  author  of  this 
verse  had  Jebel  Usdum  in  mind,  he  must,  as  Gunkel  finds  other  rea- 
sons for  believing,  be  a  different  person  from  the  author  of  the  original 
story,  who,  as  has  been  shown,  in  13  :  10  clearly  points  to  the  plain  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Jordan. 

27.  The  removal  of  v.  *6  would  bring  this  verse,  or  the  first  half  of 
it,  into  its  proper  relation  to  v.  25.    The  latter  half  of  it  is  plainly 
an  editorial  reference  to  the  story  of  Abraham's  intercession. 

149 


IQ  :  28  GENESIS 


j  28.  stood  before  the  LORD  :  |  and  °he  looked  toward  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah,  and  toward  all  the  land  of  the  Plain,  and 
beheld,  and  lo,  °the  smoke  of  the  land  went  up  as  the 
smoke  of  a  furnace. 

P  29.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  God  destroyed  rthe  cities  1 
of  the  Plain,  that  °God  remembered  Abraham,  and  sent 
Lot  out  of  the  midst  of  the  overthrow,  when  he 2  over- 

J  30.  threw  the  cities  in  which  Lot  dwelt.  |  And  °Lot  went 
up  out  of  Zoar,  and  dwelt  in  the  mountain,  and  his  two 

1  Gr.  all  the  cities.      *  Gr.  the  Lord. 

28.  He  looked  toward  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.     He  could  not  see 
their  ruins  from  any  place  near  Hebron,  but  he  could  see  the  depres- 
sion in  which  they  lay  and  the  smoke  of  the  land  about  them,  as  one 
can  now  see  the  mist  that  rises  from  the  Sea. 

The  question  naturally  arises  whether,  or  to  what  extent,  the  ac- 
count of  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  is  historical.  For- 
tunately, from  the  religious  standpoint,  it  is  not  of  fundamental 
importance,  for  it  cannot  be  satisfactorily  answered.  It  is  probable 
that  a  catastrophe  involving  the  destruction  of  one  or  more  places 
actually  occurred  in  early  times  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Dead  Sea. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  is  possible  that  the  whole  story  is  a  legend  to 
account  for  some  of  the  remarkable  features  of  the  region  with  which 
it  is  connected.  In  either  case  the  purpose  of  the  author  in  incor- 
porating it  into  his  narrative  was  one,  and  a  worthy  one,  viz.,  to  im- 
press upon  the  minds  of  his  readers  that  the  God  whom  they  worshipped 
was  a  holy  God,  and  that  he  would  not  tolerate  in  them  the  vices  for 
which  their  Canaanite  neighbors  were  notorious. 

(d)  Lot  and  his  daughters,  19  :  29-38.  From  Zoar  Lot  removes 
to  the  highlands,  where,  by  plying  him  with  wine,  his  daughters,  one 
after  the  other,  become  mothers,  thus  giving  rise  to  the  peoples  known 
under  the  names  of  "Moab  "  and  "  the  children  of  Ammon."  The 
paragraph  is  from  the  Judean  narrative,  except  v.  29,  which  is  a  con- 
densed statement  of  Priestly  origin  of  the  substance  of  vs.  1-28. 

29.  There  is  really  no  connection  between  this  verse  and  the  rest 
of  the  chapter,  but  it  furnishes  a  starting  point  for  the  incident  to  be 
related.     God  remembered  Abraham.     It  is  possible  that  the  author 
here  had  in  mind  Abraham's  intercession,  but  more  probable  that  he 
attributed  Lot's  escape  to  the  influence  of  the  patriarch's  virtues.     He 
evidently  did  not  approve  of  the  nephew. 

30.  Lot  went  up  out  of  Zoar;   which,  therefore,  must  have  been  in 

150 


GENESIS  19:36 


daughters  with  him;   for  °he  feared  to  dwell  in  Zoar: 
and  °he  dwelt  in  a  cave,  he  and  his  two  daughters.1 

31.  And  the  firstborn  said  unto  the  younger,  Our  father  is 
old,  and  °there  is  not  a  man  in  the  earth  to  come  in  unto 

32.  us  after  the  manner  of  all  the  earth :  come,  °let  us  make 
our  father  drink  wine,  and  we  will  lie  with  him,  °that  we 

33.  may  preserve  seed  of  our  father.    And  they  made  their 
father  drink  wine  that  night :  and  the  firstborn  went  in, 
and  lay  with  her  father 2 ;   and  he  knew  not  when  she 

34.  lay  down,  nor  when  she  arose.    And  it  came  to  pass 
on  the  morrow,  that  the  firstborn  said  unto  the  younger, 
Behold,  I  lay  yesternight  with  °my 3*  father :  let  us  make 
him  drink  wine  this  night  also;    and  go  thou  in,  and 
lie  with  him,  that  we  may  preserve  seed  of  our  father. 

35.  And  they  made  their  father  drink  wine  that  night  also: 
and  °the  younger  arose4*  and  lay  with  him ;  and  he  knew 

36.  not  when  she  lay  down,  nor  when  she  arose.     Thus 


1  Sam.  Or.  Vg.  add,  with  him.       *  Gr.  adds,  that  night.       3  Gr.  our.      *  Gr.  Vg. 
Syr.  went  in. 


the  plain  or  not  much  above  it.  He  feared  to  dwell  in  Zoar;  appar- 
ently because  it  was  too  near  the  devastated  cities.  He  dwelt  in  a 
cave;  as  if  the  territory  afterward  occupied  by  his  descendants  was 
then  uninhabited. 

3 1 .  There  is  not  a  man  in  the  earth.    The  Hebrew  word  here  ren- 
dered earth  is  also  the  one  for  land,  and  the  latter  is  the  preferable 
meaning  in  this  connection. 

32.  Let  us  make  our  father  drink  wine.     Better,  Let  us  give  our 
father  wine  to  drink.     So  also  in  vs.  33  ff.     She  gives  her  father  the 
credit  of  being  a  man  who  would  not  wittingly  be  a  party  to  the 
fulfilment  of  her  purpose.     That  we  may  preserve  seed  of  our  father. 
She  proposes  to  sacrifice  her  virtue,  not  to  gratify  her  passions,  but 
to  perpetuate  her  family.     For  another  instance  of  the  same  kind,  see 
chapter  38. 

34.  My  father.     Read  with  the  Greek  Version,  our  father. 

35.  The  younger  arose.     Better,  as  in  v.  33,  with  the  versions,  the 
younger  "went  in. 

*$* 


IQ  :  37  GENESIS 


were  both  the  daughters  of  Lot  with  child  by  their 
father.     And  the  firstborn  bare  a  son,  and  called  his 

37.  name  Moab  l:  the  same  is  the  father  of  the  °Moabites 

38.  unto  this  day.     And  the  younger,  she  also  bare  a  son, 
and  called  his  name  °Ben-ammi 2 :  the  same  is  the  father 
of  °the  children  of  Ammon  unto  this  day. 

1  Gr.  adds,  saying,  From  my  fattier.       *  Gr.  Amman,  [saying]  the  son  of  my  race. 

37.  The  Greek  Version  adds,  as  an  explanation  of  the  name  here 
given,  From  my  father ;  which  is  obtained  by  changing  its  pronuncia- 
tion from  Moabh  to  Meabh.     The  Moabites;   the  people  that  the  He- 
brews, on  entering  Palestine  after  the  Exodus,  found  in  possession  of 
the  country  east  of  the  Dead  Sea  and  south  of  the  Arnon.     See  Num. 
21  :  13. 

38.  Bcn-ammi.     Here,  again,  the  Greek  Version  has  a  fuller  text. 
It  gives  the  child's  name  as  Amman,  i.e.,  Ammon,  and  renders  Ben- 
ammi  as  an  explanation,  The  son  of  my  race.    The  Hebrew  author 
probably  intended  it  to  be  understood  in  the  sense  of  The  son  of  my 
kinsman.     In  other  words,  he  made  the  names  Moab  and  Ammon 
equivalent  in  meaning  and  found  in  them  a  reminder  of  the  origin  of 
the  peoples  that  bore  them.     The  children  of  Ammon;  a  people  that, 
according  to  Jud.  u  :  13  ff.,  at  first  occupied  the  territory  east  of  the 
Jordan  and  the  Dead  Sea  from  the  Jabbok  to  the  Arnon,  but  were 
forced  back  toward  the   eastern  desert  by  the  Amorites  before   the 
Exodus. 

This  story  cannot  be  regarded  as,  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  word, 
historical.  It  appears  to  be  an  attempt  to  account  for  the  names  of 
the  two  peoples  whose  origin  it  professes  to  describe.  It  is  not,  how- 
ever, without  value.  Far  from  it.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  important 
as  reflecting  the  ethical  condition  and  ideals  of  the  Hebrews  of  the 
period  in  which  it  was  written.  Secondly,  it  is  remarkable  as  witness- 
ing, in  spite  of  the  almost  constant  hostility  of  both  the  Moabites  and 
the  Ammonites  toward  the  Hebrews,  to  the  fact  that  the  three  peoples 
came  from  the  same  stock.  See  Dt.  2  :  9,  19. 

(4)    A  series  of  trials,  chs.  20-23,  exc-  22  '•  20-24 

The  next  four  chapters,  with  the  exception  noted,  represent  Abra- 
ham in  his  various  relations  as  meeting  a  succession  of  experiences, 
one  after  another,  which  were  calculated  to  test  and  develop  his 
character  as  a  man  of  God. 

(a)  The  seizure  of  Sarah  by  Abimelech,  20  :  1-18.     Abraham,  on 


GENESIS 


20  :$ 


20.        And  Abraham  °journeyed   from  thence  toward  the   E 
land  of  the  South,  and  dwelt   between  Kadesh  1  and 

2.  Shur2;    °and  he  sojourned  in  Gerar.2     And  Abraham 
said  of  Sarah  his  wife,  She  is  my  sister 3 :  and  °Abime- 

3.  lech  king  of  Gerar  sent  and  took  Sarah.    But  °God  came 
to  Abimelech  °in  a  dream  of  the  night,  and  said  to 
him,  Behold,  °thou  art  but  a  dead  man,  because  of  the 
woman  which  thou  hast  taken ;  for  she  is  a  man's  wife. 

4.  Now  Abimelech  had  not  come  near  her:   and  he  said, 

5.  Lord,  wilt  thou  slay  even  °a 4  righteous  nation  *?    Said 

*  Syr.  Tar.  Rekam.  *  Syr.  Godor;  Tar.  Hagra.  3  Gr.  adds,  for  he  feared  to  say. 
She  is  my  wife,  lest  the  men  of  the  city  should  slay  him  on  her  account.  *  Gr.  Vg.  an 
unwilling  and, 

going  to  Gerar,  repeats  the  mistake  he  made  in  Egypt  with  a  similar 
result:  the  king  takes  Sarah  and  is  only  prevented  from  making  her 
his  wife  by  divine  interference.  In  obedience  to  this  warning  the  king 
restores  the  woman  to  her  husband,  with  a  royal  indemnity,  where- 
upon he  is  relieved  from  the  ban  resting  on  him  and  his  family.  The 
whole  paragraph  is  from  the  Ephraimite  narrative,  being  an  almost 
unmarred  specimen  of  that  work. 

1.  The  words  from  thence  now  mean  from  Hebron;  but,  since  the 
preceding  part  of  the  Ephraimite  narrative  has  been  almost  entirely 
omitted,  one  cannot  be  sure  that  this  was  their  original  sense.     From 
his  starting-point,  wherever  it  was,  he  journeyed,  better  removed,  toward, 
better  to,  the  land  of  the  South,  and  dwelt  in  that  part  of  it  between 
Kadesh  and   Shur.    On  these  names,   see   14  :  7;     16  :  7.     And  he 
sojourned  in  Gerar.    This  clause  becomes  more  intelligible  when 
attached  to  v.  2  and  rendered,  And  when  he  sojourned  in  Gerar,  which, 
as  has  been  shown  under  10  :  19,  was  within  the  above  limits. 

2.  Abimelech  took  Sarah;  perhaps  with  the  hope  of  obtaining  by 
her  the  children,  who,  according  to  v.  17,  had  hitherto  been  denied 
him. 

3.  Note  the  name  God  and  the  method  of  revelation,  in  a  dream. 
See  15  :  i.     Thou  art  but  a  dead  man;   thou  shalt  surely  die.     Pha- 
raoh, according  to  12  :  17,  was  "  plagued  with  great  plagues"  on 
Sarah's  account. 

4.  The  threat  of  v.  3  concerns  the  king  personally.     It  is  therefore 
probable  that  in  his  defence  he  said,  not  a  righteous  nation,  but  a 
righteous  man,  and  that  a  copyist  mistook  the  latter  reading  for  the 
former. 

IS3 


20  :  6  GENESIS 

he  not  himself  unto  me,  She  is  my  sister?  and  °she, 
even  she  herself  said,  He  is  my  brother :  °in  the  integrity 
of  my  heart  and  the  °innocency  of  my  hands  have  I  done 

6.  this.     And  God  said  unto  him  in  the  dream,  Yea,  I 
know  that  in  the  integrity  of  thy  heart  thou  hast  done 
this,  and  I  also  withheld  thee  from  °sinning  against  me : 

7.  therefore  suffered  I  thee  not  to  touch  her.     Now  there- 
fore restore  the  man's  wife;  for  °he  is  a  prophet,  and  he 
shall  pray  for  thee,  and  thou  shalt  live :  and  if  thou  re- 
store her  not,  know  thou  that  thou  shalt  surely  die,  thou, 

8.  and  all  that  are  thine.     And  Abimelech  rose  early  in 
the  morning,  and  called  all  his  servants,  and  told  all 
these  things  in  their  ears :    and  1  the  men  1  were  sore 

9.  afraid.     Then  Abimelech  called  Abraham,  and  said  unto 
him,  °What2*  hast  thou  done  unto  us2f?  and  wherein 
have  I  sinned  against  thee,  that  thou  hast  brought  on  me 

1  Sam.  Gr.  all  the  men.      *  Syr.  have  I  done  unto  ihee. 

5.  She,  even  she  herself  overdoes  the  original,  which  would  be 
more  accurately  rendered  she,  also,  herself.     It  appears  that  in  this,  as 
in  the  former  case,  there  was  an  understanding  between  her  and  her 
husband.     See  v.   13.     The  king  appeals  to  the  principle  that  the 
quality  of  an  act  depends  upon  the  intent  of  the  actor,  and  argues  that, 
because  he  did  what  he  did  in  the  integrity  of  his  heart,  with  an  up- 
right intention,  he  did  it  in  innocency  of  hands,  without  incurring  real 
guilt. 

6.  Sinning  against  me;   by  taking  another  man's  wife. 

7.  He  is  a  prophet.    The  term  prophet  is  here  used  for  the  first 
time  in  the  Old  Testament.     In  its  original  signification  of  spokesman 
it  is  used  of  representatives  of  men  as  well  as  of  God.     See  Ex.  7:1. 
It  is  here  applied  to  Abraham  as  a  mediator  through  whose  interces- 
sion Abimelech  may  escape  the  threatened  penalty.    The  bestowment 
of  the  title  upon  him,  therefore,  amounts  to  canonization.     Note, 
however,  that,  according  to  the  author  of  this  story,  the  prophets  also 
received  their  revelations  in  dreams.     See  15:1. 

9.  What  hast  thou  done  unto  us  ?  The  Syriac  Version  has,  What 
have  I  done  unto  thee;  and  this,  since  it  forms  a  parallelism  with  the 
next  clause,  is  doubtless  the  original  reading.  The  present  reading  is 

154 


GENESIS 


and  on  my  kingdom  °a  great  sin?    thou  hast  done 

10.  °deeds 1   unto  me  that  ought  not  to  be  done.     And 
Abimelech  said  unto  Abraham,   °What  sawest  *  thou, 

11.  that  thou  hast  done  this  thing?     And  Abraham  said,2 
Because  I  thought,3  Surely  the  fear  of  God  is  not  in  this 

12.  place;   and  they  will  slay  me  for  my  wife's  sake.     And 
moreover  °she  is  indeed  my  sister,  the  daughter  of  my 
father,  but  not  the  daughter  of  my  mother;    and  she 

13.  became  my  wife :  and  it  came  to  pass,  °when  God  caused 
me  to  wander  from  my  father's  house,4  that  I  said  unto 
her,  This  is  thy  kindness  which  thou  shalt  shew  unto 
me  ;  at  every  place  whither  we  shall  come,  say  of  me, 

1  Gr.  sing.       J  Sam.  adds,  Because  I  was  afraid.      3  Vg.  adds,  with  myself  saying. 
«  Sam.  adds,  and  from  the  land  of  my  kindred. 

a  reminiscence  of  12  :  18.  A  great  sin.  The  king  does  not  mean  that 
he  and  his  people  have  already  committed  this  sin,  but  that  Abraham 
has  misled  them  into  taking  the  first  step  toward  it.  Deeds  that 
ought  not  to  be  done;  lit.,  deeds  that  are  not  done,  that  are  universally 
condemned.  The  words  put  into  the  mouth  of  the  king  indicate  an 
advanced  stage  of  ethical  development. 

10.  What  sawest  thou.    The  question  is  not  as  fitting  under  the 
circumstances  as  What  didst  thou  fear  ?  which  in  Hebrew  would  have 
the  same  letters  a  little  differently  arranged. 

11.  The  correction  just  suggested  is  favored  by  the  Samaritan  text, 
which  begins  Abraham's  reply  with  Because  I  was  afraid. 

12.  She  is  indeed  my  sister.     In  12  :  10  Abraham  receives  the  re- 
buke administered  to  him  in  silence.     The  explanation  here  put  into 
his  mouth  indicates  a  greater  sensitiveness  on  the  subject  of  truth  and 
falsehood  than  is  shown  in  the  other  story.    Observe,  however,  that 
the  author  represents  the  patriarch  as  defending  himself  by  pleading 
a  relation  between  himself  and  Sarah  which  in  later  times  would  have 
been  a  bar  to  their  union.     See  Dt.  27  :  22;   Lev.  20  :  i. 

13.  When  God  caused  me  to  wander;    on  leaving  Mesopotamia. 
Compare  12  :  n,  according  to  which  the  falsehood  was  concocted  just 
before  the  pair  entered  Egypt. 

14.  The  Samaritan  text,  which  is  followed  by  the  Greek  Version, 
mentions  as  the  first  of  the  gifts  of  the  king  to  Abraham  a  thousand 
pieces  of  silver,  but  it  is  probable  that  the  item  was  mistakenly  sup- 
plied from  v.  16.     It  is  noteworthy  that,  while  in  12  :  16  the  gifts  made 

155 


20  : 14  GENESIS 

14.  *  He  is  my 1  brother.     And  Abimelech  took 2  °sheep  and 
oxen,  and  menservants  and  womenservants,  and  gave 
them  unto  Abraham,  and  restored  him  Sarah  his  wife. 

15.  And  Abimelech  said,  Behold,  °my  land  is  before  thee: 

16.  dwell  where  it  pleaseth  thee.     And  unto  Sarah  he  said, 
Behold,  I  have  given  thy  brother  °a  thousand  pieces  of 
silver:  behold,  it 3  is  for  thee  °a  covering  of  the  eyes  4to 
all 4  that  are  with  thee 5 ;  and  6  in  respect  of  6  all 7  thou 
art  righted.7     And  Abraham  prayed  unto  God:    and 

17.  °God  healed  Abimelech,  and  his  wife,  and  his  maid- 
R  1 8.  servants;  and  they  bare  children.  |  For  8the  LORD  8 


1  Vg.  that  I  am  thy.  *  Sam.  Gr.  add,  a  thousand  pieces  of  silver,  and.  *  m.  he. 
«  Sam.  and  to  all.  *  Syr.  me.  6  m.  before.  1  Gr.  speak  truth;  Vg.  remember  I 
shall  delect  thee;  Syr.  thou  hast  accused  me.  8  Sam.  God. 


to  Abraham  were  in  a  sense  a  price  paid  for  Sarah,  the  sheep  and 
oxen,  etc.,  are  here  an  indemnity. 

15.  My  land  is  before  thee.     Pharaoh,  according  to   12  :  19  £., 
drove  the  patriarch  from  Egypt. 

1 6.  A  thousand  pieces  of  silver;    about  $664.20.     A  covering  of 
the  eyes  to  all  that  are  with  thee;    an  appeasement  (32  :  20)  offered 
her  personally  through  her  husband,  in  view  of  which  those  who  are 
jealous  for  her  honor  will  have  to  consider  her  vindicated.    The  last 
clause  seems  to  be  an  enlargement  upon  the  same  idea,  as  if  the  king 
had  added  simply,  or  any  one  else.     A  slight  change  in  the  Hebrew 
would  make  it  mean,  and  I  have  put  an  end  to  reproaches.    The  Jewish 
doctors,  seeing  the  advantage  that  accrued  to  the  patriarch  in  this 
transaction,  recast  Abimelech's  speech  and  made  him  say,  "Thou 
wentest  to  Egypt  and  there  madest  gain  by  Sarah,  and  now  thou  art 
come  hither  to  make  gain  by  her  here  also.     If  it  is  gold  thou  desir- 
est,  take  it  and  begone  with  thee."    This,  however,  is  not  exegesis, 
but  criticism. 

17.  God  healed  Abimelech.    The  disease  from  which  he  was  suffer- 
ing, if  it  prevented  him  from  having  offspring,  cannot  have  been  on 
Sarah's  account,  since  it  is  clear  from  v.  3  that  she  spent  but  a  very 
short  time  in  his  harem.    The  rest  of  the  verse  would  sound  better  if, 
after  a  semicolon,  it  were  rendered,  also  his  "wife  and  his  maidser- 
vants, and  they  bare  children. 

18.  The  editor,  who  betrays  himself  by  using  the  name  Yahweh 

156 


GENESIS 


had  fast  closed  up  all  the  wombs  of  the  house  of  Abime- 
lech,  °because  of  Sarah  Abraham's  wife. 
21.       And  the  LORD  visited  Sarah  as  he  had  said,  |  and   j, 

2.  °*  the  LORD  |  did  unto  Sarah  as  he  had  spoken.  |  And  J 
Sarah  conceived,  and  bare  Abraham  a  son  °in  his 1  old 
age,  |  at   °the  set  time  of  which  God  had  spoken  to  P 

3.  him.2    And  Abraham  called  the  name  of  his  son  that 
was    born    unto    him,    whom    Sarah    bare    to    him, 

'  Gr.  om.;   Vg.  her.       >  Vg.  her. 

instead  of  God,  overlooking  the  point  just  made,  says  that  the  women 
of  Abimelech's  family  were  denied  children  because  of  Sarah. 

In  the  above  notes  attention  has  been  called  to  the  divergences  be- 
tween this  story  and  that  of  12  :  10  ff.,  but  without  dwelling  on  their 
significance.  They  are  so  numerous  and  noticeable  that  at  first  sight 
they  seem  to  require  one  to  believe  Abraham  to  have  twice  risked  the 
loss  of  his  wife  for  the  sake  of  his  personal  safety.  This  is  doubtless 
the  view  taken  by  the  compiler,  and  the  one  that  he  expected  his  read- 
ers to  take.  When,  however,  these  divergences  are  examined,  it  is 
found  that  they  can  all  be  explained  on  the  supposition  that  the  two 
passages  are  two  versions  of  the  same  incident,  written  at  different 
dates  and  by  different  persons.  Moreover,  on  this  supposition  Abra- 
ham becomes  a  more  attractive  character  and  the  reader  gets  an  in- 
structive glimpse  into  the  ethical  and  religious  history  of  the  Chosen 
People.  For  the  continuation  of  the  Ephraimite  account  of  the  re- 
lations of  Abraham  and  Abimelech,  see  21  :  22  ff. 

(b)  The  rival  mothers,  21  :  1-21.  The  jealousy  which,  according 
to  1 6  :  4  ff.,  made  Hagar  attempt  to  escape  from  Sarah  before  the  birth 
of  her  child  is  here  represented  as  renewed  on  the  birth  of  Isaac;  and 
so  intensified  that  the  banishment  of  Hagar  is  required  to  keep  peace 
in  the  family. 

(a)  The  birth  of  Isaac,  21  :  1-7.  Sarah  at  the  appointed  time 
bears  a  son,  whom  his  father  calls  Isaac  and  circumcises  according  to 
the  divine  command.  The  paragraph  is  mainly  of  Priestly  origin, 
but  there  are  brief  extracts  from  both  of  the  other  narratives. 

1.  In  the  latter  half  of  the  verse  the  name  Yahweh  (the  LORD)  is 
supposed  to  have  been  substituted  for  God  for  the  sake  of  conformity 
with  the  preceding  clause.    On  the  promise  now  fulfilled,  see  18  :  10 
(J)  and  17  :  19  (P). 

2.  In  his  old  age;   or  for  his  old  age,  a  source  of  comfort  to  him  in 
his  declining  years.     See  also  v.  7.     The  set  time  was  a  year  from  the 
date  of  the  promise.     See  17  :  21. 

157 


2i  :  4  GENESIS 


4.  °Isaac.     And  Abraham  circumcised  his  son  Isaac  when 
he  was  °eight  days  old,  as  God  had  commanded  him. 

5.  And  Abraham  was  °an  hundred  years  old,  when  his  son 
E     6.   Isaac  was  born  unto  him.  |  And  Sarah  said,  ,°God  hath 
J           1  made  me  to  laugh  * ;  |  every  one  that  heareth  will  laugh 

7.    °with  me.     And  she  said,  Who  would  have  said  unto 

Abraham,  that  Sarah  should  give  children  suck?    °for 

I  have  borne  him 2  a  son  in  his 3  old  age. 

E     8.       And  the  child  grew,  and  was  weaned:  and  Abraham 

made  a  great  feast  on  the  day  that  Isaac  4  was  weaned. 

9.   And  Sarah  saw  the  son  of  Hagar  the  Egyptian,  which 

10.   she  had  borne  unto  Abraham,  °mocking.5     Wherefore 


1  m.  prepared  laughter  for  me;  Syr.  caused  me  great  joy  to-day.  3  So  Sam.  Vg.  Syr. ; 
Heb.  om.  3  Gr.  my.  •*  Sam.  Gr.  add,  his  son.  *  m.  playing;  Gr.  Vg.  playing 
with  Isaac  her  son. 


3.  Isaac.    The  narratives  agree  in  teaching  that  the  name,  which' 
means  he  laughs,  was  suggested  by  the  laughter  of  either  Abraham  or 
Sarah.     See  18  :  12  (J);   21  :  6  (E);    17  :  17  (P). 

4.  Eight  days  old.     See  17  :  12. 

5.  An  hundred  years  old;   Sarah  being  ninety.     See  17  :  17. 

6.  God  hath  made  me  to  laugh.     Better,  God  hath  caused  laughter 
over  me,  the  laughter,  of  course,  being  a  sympathetic  expression  of  joy. 
So,  also,  in  the  latter  half  of  the  verse  concerning  me  would  be  more 
exact  than  with  me. 

7.  In  the  last  clause  but  would  be  stronger  and  better  than  for. 
(6)  The  expulsion  of  Ishmael,  21  :  8-21.    On  the  occasion  of  the 

feast  when  Isaac  is  weaned,  Sarah,  offended  at  the  conduct  of 
Ishmael,  demands  that  he  and  his  mother  be  cast  out.  Abraham, 
much  against  his  will,  sends  them  forth,  and  they  wander  in  the  south- 
ern desert  until  their  supply  of  water  is  spent  and  the  child  is  at  the 
point  of  death.  At  the  last  moment  he  is  rescued  by  the  angel  of  God 
and  lives  to  grow  to  manhood  in  that  region.  The  entire  paragraph 
is  from  the  Ephraimite  narrative. 

8.  The  age  at  which  a  child  was  weaned  among  the  Hebrews  was 
about  three  years.     See  2  Mac.  7  :  27. 

9.  The  rendering  mocking  is  too  strong  for  this  connection.     In 
19  :  14  the  same  Hebrew  word  evidently  means  jest.     In  other  pas- 
sages it  is  used  in  the  sense  of  play  or  sport.     It  was  so  understood  in 
this  instance  by  the  Greek  and  Latin  translators,  who  seem  to  have  had 

158 


GENESIS 


she  said  unto  Abraham,  Cast  out  this  bondwoman  and 
her  son :  for  °the  son  of  this  bondwoman  shall  not  be 

11.  heir  with  my  son,  even  with  Isaac.     And  the  thing  was 
very  grievous  in  Abraham's  sight  °on  account  of  his  son. 

12.  And  God  said  unto  Abraham,  Let  it  not  be  grievous  in 
thy  sight  because  of  the  lad,  and  because  of  °thy  1  bond- 
woman; in  all  that  Sarah  saith  unto  thee,  hearken  unto 

13.  her  voice;  for  °in  Isaac  shall  thy  seed  be  called.     And 
also  of  the  son  of  the 2  bondwoman  will  I  make  °3  a  nation,3 

14.  because  he  is  thy  seed.     And  Abraham  rose  up  early  in 
the  morning,  and  took  bread  and  °a  bottle 4  of  water, 

1  Gr.  the.      *  Sam.  this.      3  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  a  great  nation.      *  m.  skin. 

a  more  complete  text  than  the  one  preserved  by  the  Jews.  At  any  rate, 
for  mocking  they  have  playing  with  Isaac  her  son.  See  also  v.  14, 
from  which  it  will  appear  that  Ishmael,  according  to  the  Ephraimite 
narrator,  was  still  a  little  child. 

10.  The  interpretation  given  to  v.  9  harmonizes  with  the  context; 
for  the  demand  now  made  by  Sarah  does  not  imply  that    Ishmael 
had  shown  her  or  her  child  any  disrespect,  but  rather  that  a  sprightly 
and  joyous  nature  made  him  a  dangerous  rival  for  Isaac.      The 
son  of  this  bondwoman,  she  says,  unable  to  conceal  her  contempt  for 
Hagar,  shall  not  be  heir  with  my  son. 

11.  On  account  of  his  son;   Ishmael,  who  had  endeared  himself  to 
the  old  man. 

12.  Thy  bondwoman.     In  chapter  16  the  maid  is  Sarah's  property. 
See  especially  16  :  6.     In  Isaac  shall  thy  seed  be  called,  lit.,  through 
Isaac  shall  a  seed  be  called  for  thee,  i.e.,  it  is  the  children  of  Isaac  who 
shall  bear  thy  name. 

13.  A  nation.      Better,  with  the  Samaritans  and  the  Versions,  a 
great  nation.     See  v.  18. 

14.  A  bottle  of  water;   a  goatskin  tanned  whole,  used  not  only  for 
water,  but  for  milk,  oil,  butter,  etc.    The  verb  gave  has  no  object  in 
Hebrew.    There  is  therefore  no  reason  why  the  translators  should  not 
have  supplied  them  instead  of  leaving  the  reader  to  wonder  which  it 
it  was  that  Hagar  received.    The  awkwardness  of  the  construction  of 
the  next  few  words  indicates  that  something  is  wrong.     In  point  of 
fact,  this  is  a  case  in  which  the  text  has  clearly  been  changed,  and  for 
a  perfectly  apparent  purpose.    The  original  reading  has  been  pre- 
served in  some  of  the  Greek  manuscripts.     It  ran,  and  the  child  he 

159 


GENESIS 

and  gave  °it  unto  Hagar,  01  putting  it  on  her  shoulder, 
and  the  child,1  and  sent  her  away:  and  °she  departed, 

15.  and  wandered  in  °the  wilderness  of  Beer-sheba.     °And 
the  water  in  the  bottle  was  spent,  and  °she  cast  the  child 

16.  under  °2  one  of  the  shrubs.2    And  she  went,  and  sat  her 
down  over  against  him  °a  good  way  off,  as  it  were  a 
bowshot :  for  she  said,  Let  me  not  look  upon  the  death 
of  the3  child.     And   she  sat  over  against  him,   and 

17.  **  lift  up  her  4f  voice,  and  wept.    And  God  heard  °the 
voice  of  the  lad  5 ;    and  °the  angel  of    God  called  to 
Hagar  °out  of  heaven,  and  said  unto  her,  Whataileth 

1  SV  putting  it  on  her  shoulder,  and  gave  her  the  child;  Gr.  mss.  and  Put  the  child 
on  her  shoulder.  '  Gr.  a  pine;  Vg.  adds,  which  were  there.  3  Gr.  my.  *  Gr. 
the  boy  lifted  his.  *  Gr.  adds,  from  the  place  where  he  was. 

put  on  her  shoulder.  This  is  what  one  acquainted  with  the  Orient, 
where  the  women  customarily  carry  their  little  children  on  their 
shoulders,  would  expect,  and  v.  15  confirms  its  correctness.  The 
reason  for  the  change  is  equally  simple.  When  the  Priestly  narrative, 
according  to  which  Ishmael  was  fourteen  years  older  than  Isaac, 
was  incorporated  with  the  previous  compilation,  the  editor  saw  that 
it  would  be  ridiculous  to  represent  Abraham  as  putting  him  upon  the 
shoulder  of  his  mother,  and  he  simply  transposed  the  words  of  this 
clause  to  prevent  the  reader  from  giving  it  its  original  meaning. 
The  English  translators  completed  his  work  by  inserting  another  it, 
after  putting.  She  departed;  probably  from  Beer-sheba,  where, 
according  to  the  author  of  this  passage,  Abraham  was  then  encamped. 
See  the  wilderness  of  Beer-sheba;  also  vs.  22  ff.,  which  should  follow 
chapter  20.  Compare  16  :  7. 

15.  And  the  water  was  spent.     Better  When,  etc.     She  cast,  better, 
put  down,  the  child.     The  verb  used  implies  that  she  had  been  carrying 
him.     One  of  the  shrubs:  probably  a  ratam,  as  this  species  of  broom 
abounds  in  that  region.     See  i  Kgs.  19  :  5. 

1 6.  A  good  way  off;    not  only  that  she  might  not  look  upon  the 
death  of  the  child,  but  that  she  might  not  hear  him;    for  the  Greek 
Version  is  undoubtedly  correct  in  saying  that  it  was  the  boy  who 
lifted  up  his  voice  and  wept. 

17.  The  change  in  v.  16  is  required  by  the  statement  here  made, 
that  it  was  the  voice  of  the  lad  which  God  heard.     The  angel  of  God; 
used  in  the  Ephraimite  narrative  where  the  Judean  would  employ 
the  angel  of  Yahweh,  but  not  so  frequently.     Out  of  heaven;  not  com- 

160 


GENESIS  21  121 


thee,  Hagar?  fear  not;  for  °God  hath  heard  the  voice 

1 8.  of  the  *  lad  where  he  is.     Arise,  °lift  up  the  lad,  and 
2  hold  him  in  thine 2  hand ;  for  I  will  make  him  a  great 

19.  nation.    And  God  opened  her  eyes,  and  she  saw  °a  well 
of  water s;  and  she  went,  and  filled  the  bottle  with  water, 

20.  and  gave  the  lad  drink.    And  God  was  with  the  lad, 
and  he  grew;  and  he  dwelt  in  °the  wilderness,  and  be- 

21.  came4  °an  archer.5     And  he  dwelt  in  °the  wilderness 
of  Paran :  and  his  mother  took  him  °a  wife  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt. 


1  Gr.  thy.       '  Vg.  take  hold  of  his.     3  Gr.  living  water.     •*  SV  adds,  as  he  grew 
up.       *  Syr.   adds,   in  the  desert  of  Paran. 


ing  into  so  close  communication  with  her  as  the  angel  of  Yahweh 
in  16  :  7  ff.  God  hath  heard;  thus  fulfilling  the  promise  of  his  name 
Ishmael,  he  heareth.  See  16  :  n. 

18.  The  command,  lift  up  the   lad,  does   not   necessarily  imply 
anything  with  reference  to  his  age.     Nor  does  the  next  clause,  which 
reads,  lit.,  strengthen  thy  hand  upon  him,  i.e.,    lay  fast  hold  upon 
him. 

19.  A  well  of  water.    Compare  the  one  in  16  :  7  ff.,  which  receives 
a  name  commemorative  of  the  incident  narrated. 

20.  The  wilderness;  naturally  the  one  called  the  wilderness  of  Beer- 
sheba  in  v.  14.    Compare  v.  21.     An  archer:  the  first  mentioned  in  the 
Old  Testament.    The  bow  was  not  among  the  earliest  weapons  of 
the  nomads  of  the  desert  bordering  on  Egypt.     In  later  times  some 
of  the  tribes  whose  descent  is  traced  from  Ishmael,  especially  the 
Itureans  and  the  Kedarenes,  became  famous  as  archers.     See  25  : 
12  ff. 

21.  The  wilderness  of  Paran;  another  name,  perhaps  from  a  differ- 
ent source  (P),  for  the  region  just  mentioned,  now  the  so-called  Desert 
of  et-Tih.      See  Num.   12  :  16;    13  :  3.      A  wife  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt.    The  author,  it  seems,  could  not  deny  a  relationship  between 
the  Hebrews  and  the  Ishmaelites,  but  he  was  disposed  to  make  it  as 
remote  as  possible. 

This  Ephraimite  story,  then,  agrees  with  its  Judean  parallel  in 
tracing  the  descent  of  the  Ishmaelites  from  Abraham;  but  the  im- 
pression produced  is  decidedly  different.  In  chapter  16  Hagar  and 
Ishmael  are  romantic,  almost  heroic  figures;  here  they  are  outcasts 
whom  one  can  only  commiserate.  So  great  was  the  change  of  opinion 
M  161 


21  :22  GENESIS 


E   22.       And  it  came  to  pass  °at  that  time,  that  °Abimelech  *• 
and  Phicol  the  captain  of  his  host  spake  unto  Abraham, 

23.  saying,  God  is  with  thee  in  all  that  thou  doest:    °now 
therefore  swear  unto  me  here  by  God  that  thou  wilt  not 
deal  falsely  with  me,  nor  with  my  son,2  nor  with  my 
3  son's  son3:    but4  according  to  the  °kindness  that  I 
have  done  unto  thee,  thou  shalt  do  unto  me,  and  to  the 

24.  land   °wherein  thou  hast  sojourned.     And  Abraham 

25.  said,  °I  will  swear.     °And  Abraham  reproved Abime- 
lech  because  of  °the  well 5  of  water,  which  6  Abimelech's 

1  Gr.  adds,  and  Ahuzzalh  his  friend.  *  m.  offspring.  *  m.  Posterity.  *  So  Gr. 
Vg.  Syr.;  Heb.  om.  s  Gr.  plu.  6  Syr.  adds,  the  servants  of  Abraham  had  digged  and. 

and  sentiment  among  the  Hebrews  with  reference  to  the  nomadic 
life  after  they  had  been  a  few  centuries  in  possession  of  Palestine. 

(c)  The  covenant  with  Abimelech,  21  :  22-34.  Abraham,  when 
Abimelech  comes  to  him  proposing  a  covenant,  takes  occasion  to 
mention  a  well  of  which  he  has  been  dispossessed  by  the  latter's 
servants;  but,  when  the  king  denies  all  knowledge  of  the  matter,  he 
enters  into  the  proposed  covenant  and  by  a  liberal  present  secures 
undisturbed  possession  of  a  well  which  gives  its  name  to  Beer-sheba. 
The  paragraph  is  mainly  from  the  Ephraimite  narrative,  but  there  are 
extracts  from  other  sources.  It  should  properly  follow  chapter  20, 
just  as  26  :  19  ff.  follows  the  story  of  Isaac's  falsehood  concerning 
Rebekah. 

22.  At  that  time;    after  Abimelech  had  restored  Sarah.     See  20  : 
17.     Abimelech  spake  unto  Abraham;  having  come  from  Gerar,  about 
twenty-five  miles  distant,  for  that  purpose.    The  Greek  Version  says 
that  he  was  accompanied  by  two  officials,  but  it  is  probable  that  the 
name  Ahuzzath  was  borrowed  from  26  :  26. 

23.  Now  therefore  refers,  not  to  what  the  king  has  just  said,  but 
to  some  such  thought  as  thou  shall  become  a  great  nation,  which  is 
suppressed.     The  kindness  of  the  king  was  most  generously  displayed 
when  he  gave  Abraham  the  freedom  of  his  country.     See  20  :  15. 
The  words  wherein  thou  hast  sojourned  are  a  delicate 'reminder  of 
that  occasion. 

24.  I  will  swear.     He  takes  care  to  assure  the  king  of  his  friendliness 
before  making  his  complaint. 

25.  The  transition  in  thought  at  this  point  requires  but  for  and 
at  the  beginning  of  the  verse.     For  the  also,  it  would  be  better  to  read 
0,  well  of  water.    Then,  as  now,  a  well  was  a  valuable  possession,  and 

162 


GENESIS  21 


26.  servants  had    violently  taken  away.     And  Abimelech 
said,  I  know  not  who  hath  done  this  thing :  neither  didst 

27.  thou  tell  me,  neither  yet  heard  I  of  it,  but  to-day.     And 
°Abraham  took  sheep  and  oxen,  and  gave  them  unto 

28.  Abimelech;    and  °they  two  made  a  covenant.     And 
Abraham  set  °seven  ewe  lambs  of  the  flock  by  them- 

29.  selves.     And   Abimelech   said   unto   Abraham,    What 
mean  these  seven  ewe  lambs  which  thou  hast  set  by 

30.  themselves  ?     And  he 1  said,  These  seven  ewe  lambs 
shalt  thou  take  of  my  hand,  that  it 2  may  be  °a  witness 

31.  unto  me,  that  I  have  digged  this  well.     °Wherefore  he 
called  that  place  Beer-sheba;  |  because  there  they  sware  R 

3  2 .   both  of  them.     °So  they  made  a  covenant  at  Beer-sheba : 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Abraham.      •  Gr.  Vg.  they. 

on  that  account  liable  to  become  an  object  of  strife  between  neigh- 
boring tribes  or  families.     See  26  :  19  ff. 

27.  Abraham  took  sheep  and  oxen.     He  'had  doubtless  already 
received  a  substantial  present  from  Abimelech.     They  two  made  a 
covenant.    On  such  occasions  there  was  usually  a  feast.     See  26  :  30. 

28.  Having  satisfied  Abimelech's  desire  for  a  covenant,  Abraham 
takes  occasion  to  guard  against  any  further  trouble  about  water. 
Seven  ewe  lambs;    a  small,  but  significant,  present. 

30.  The  explanation  given  by  Abraham  is  not  so  blunt  in  the  orig- 
inal as  the  translation  makes  it.     In  fact  it  is  put  with  truly  oriental 
caution  and  politeness.    The  thought  is  that  the  lambs  are  a  genuine 
present,  a  token  of  esteem  and  good  will,  but  the  giver  trusts  that  they 
may  at  the  same  time  serve  as  a  witness,  a  reminder,  of  his  right,  not 
to  the  well  of  which  he  has  been  deprived,  but  to  one  that  he  has  just 
finished. 

31.  Wherefore,  because  Abraham's  second  present  consisted  of 
seven  animals,  he  called,  first  the  well,  and  then  that  place  Beer-sheba, 
Seven-wells.    This  was  the  first  of  several  dug  at  that  place.    Tradi- 
tion says  there  have  been  seven.     Three  are  still  in  use  by  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  modern  village  of  Bir  es-Seba«  and  the  Bedawin  who  pasture 
their  flocks  and  herds  in  the  neighborhood.     The  latter  half  of  the 
verse,  with  32a,  is  a  second  interpretation  of  the  name,  probably  by 
the  compiler,  who  makes  it  mean  Well  of  the  Oath. 

32.  So    they  made  a  covenant,  or,  and   made  a  covenant.    The 

163 


2i:33  GENESIS 


and  Abimelech  rose  up,1  and  Phicol  the  captain  of  his 
host,  and  they  returned  into  the  land  of  °the  Philis- 

E  33.  tines.  |  And  ° Abraham2  planted  3a  tamarisk  tree3  in 
Beer-sheba,  and  called  there  on  the  name  of  *  the 

J  34.  LORD,!  °the  Everlasting  God.  |  And  Abraham  so- 
journed in  the  land  of  the  Philistine  many  days. 

E  22.  And  it  came  to  pass  °after  these  things,  that  °God  did 
prove  Abraham,  and  said  unto  him,  Abraham  4;  and  he 

1  Gr.  adds,  and  Ahuzzath  his  friend.      *  So  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.      »  Gr.  ground;  Vg. 
a  grove;  Syr.  Tar.  a  tree.      *  Heb.  mss.  Gr.  Vg.  add,  Abraliam. 


name  of  the  Philistines  must  also  have  been  inserted  by  the  compiler; 
according  to  the  Ephraimite  author  Abimelech  was  king  of  Gerar. 
See  20  :  2.  The  name  has  no  place  in  a  history  of  Abraham,  for  there 
were  no  Philistines  in  Palestine  until  centuries  after  his  day.  They 
are  first  mentioned,  under  the  name  Purusati,  or  Pulusati,  as  taking 
part  in  a  movement  against  Egypt  in  the  reign  of  Rameses  III.  Since 
they  were  then  in  the  north,  they  can  hardly  have  reached  southern 
Palestine  before  the  Exodus. 

33.  The  name  Abraham  has  been  inserted  by  the  translators  on  the 
authority  of  the  Samaritans  and  the  versions.     If  this  verse  be  con- 
nected directly  with  v.  31,  it  is  not  needed.     The  Everlasting  God. 
The  thought  conveyed  is  familiar  enough,  but  the  name  is  used  else- 
where only  in  Is.  40  :  28.     See  Jer.  10  :  10. 

34.  This  verse,  since  it  conflicts  with  both  v.  12  and  20  :  2,  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  borrowed  from  the  history  of  Isaac,  its  original 
place  being,  perhaps,  after  26  :  12.     It  was  inserted  here,  apparently, 
to  bridge  the  period  that  must  be  supposed  to  have  elapsed  between  the 
expulsion  of  Ishmael  and  the  incident  narrated  in  the  next  chapter. 

(d)  The  sacrifice  of  Isaac,  22  :  1-19.  Abraham,  being  commanded 
to  sacrifice  his  son,  promptly  sets  out  for  the  place  indicated,  and,  on 
reaching  it,  makes  all  the  preparations  for  a  burnt  offering;  but  at 
the  last  moment  the  angel  of  God  forbids  the  act.  Thereupon  the 
patriarch  offers  a  stray  ram  in  his  son's  stead,  and,  after  renewed 
assurances  of  the  divine  favor,  returns  to  Beersheba.  The  original 
story  was  from  the  Ephraimite  narrative,  but  it  has  been  considerably 
expanded. 

i.  After  these  things;  and,  if  this  story  originally  followed  21  :  21, 
a  number  of  years,  or  as  21  :  34  puts  it,  "  many  days,"  later.  God 
did  prove  Abraham.  This  way  of  putting  the  matter  is  in  harmony 
with  the  earlier  ideas  of  the  Hebrews,  who  attributed  everything, 

164 


GENESIS  22  :  4 


2.  said,  Here  am  I.    And  he  said,  Take  now  thy  son,  01  thine 
only l  son,  whom  thou  lovest,  even  Isaac,  and  get  thee  into 
°the  2  land  of  Moriah  2* ;  and  offer  him  there  for  a  burnt 
offering  upon  °one  of  the  mountains  which  I  will  tell  thee 

3.  of.     And  Abraham  rose  °early  in  the  morning,   and 
°saddled  his  ass,  and  took  two  of  his  young  men  with 
him,  and  Isaac  his  son ;   *  and  he  clave  °the  wood  for 
the  burnt  offering,f  and  rose  up,  and  went 3  unto  the 

4.  place  of  which  God  had  told  4  him.     °On  the  third  day 4 


1  Gr.  thy  beloved.  *  Gr.  high  land;  Vg.  land  of  vision;  Syr.  land  of  the  Amorite. 
3  Gr.  adds,  and  came.  •*  Gr.  him  on  the  third  day.  And;  Vg.  Syr.  him.  And 
(but)  on  the  third  day. 


good  or  bad,  that  happened  to  them  to  the  direct  agency  of  the  Al- 
mighty. See  i  Sam.  16  :  14  f. ;  Am.  3  :  6;  etc.  Did  prove  should 
be  changed  to  proved  or  said  to  say. 

2.  Thine  only  son,  whom  thou  lovest.     Each  of  these  qualifying 
phrases  only  makes  the  command  more  cruel.     Yet  Abraham  utters 
no  protest.    This  might  be  explained  as  due  to  the  fact  that  human 
sacrifices  were  by  no  means  uncommon  among  the  Hebrews.     See 
Jud.    ii  :  30  ff.;    2  Kgs.  23  :  10;    etc.    The  author,  however,  would 
probably  have  said  that  he  was  too  loyal  to  complain,  or  too  confident 
that  the  one  who  had  promised  him  a  countless  seed  (15:5)  would  find 
a  way  to  fulfil  his  engagement.     See  Heb.  11  :  17  ff.     The   land  of 
Moriah  can  only  mean  the  country  about  Jerusalem.     See  2  Chr.  3  :  i. 
It  is  hardly  probable,  however,  that  an  Ephraimite  author  would 
locate  so  important  an  incident  at  the  capital  of  the  southern  kingdom. 
It  is  better,  therefore,  to  adopt  the  Syriac  reading,  the  land  of  the 
Amorite,  which  is  supported  by  the  Greek  Version,  and  is  in  the  char- 
acteristic style  of  the  writer.     See  48  :  22.     One  of  the  mountains; 
the  one  among  several  mountains. 

3.  Early  in  the  morning;   the  command  to  sacrifice  his  son  having 
been  received  in  the  night.     See  20  13;    21  :  12;    etc.     Saddled  his 
ass;   saddled  an  ass  for  himself,  i.e.,  since  he  was  an  old  man,  for  his 
own  riding.     How  then  did  he  carry  the  wood  for  the  burnt  offering  ? 
The  evident  answer  to  this  question  is  that  he  took  none,  that  the  ref- 
erence to  it  is  a  gloss  suggested  by  a  misinterpretation  of  v.  6.    The 
author  of  it  did  not  stop  to  think  how  ridiculous  it  would  be  to  carry 
wood  from  the  region  of  Beersheba  into  the  much   better  supplied 
highlands. 

4.  On  the  third  day.    This  note  of  time  was  doubtless  meant  to 

165 


22  :  5  GENESIS 

Abraham  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  saw  °the  place  afar  off. 

5.  And  Abraham  said  unto  his  young  men,  Abide  ye  here 
with  the  ass,  and  I  and  the  lad  will  go  yonder;  and  °we 

6.  will  worship  and  come  again  to  you.    And  Abraham  took 
°the  wood  of  the  burnt  offering,  and  °laid  it  upon  Isaac  his 
son;  and  he  took  in  his  hand  the  fire  *and  °the  knife  f; 

7.  and  they  went  both  of  them  together.     And  Isaac  spake 
unto  Abraham  his  father,  and  said,  °My  father:  and  he 
said,  Here  am  I,  my  son.     And  he  said,  Behold,  °the  fire 
and  the  wood :  but  where  is  the  lamb  for  a  burnt  offer- 

8.  ing?     And  Abraham  said,  °God  will  provide  himself 
the 1  lamb  for  a  burnt  offering,  my  son :  so  they  went  both 

9.  of  them  together.     And  they  came  to  the  place  which 
God  had  told  him  of;    and  °Abraham  built  the  altar 

1  Sam.  Gr.  a. 

indicate  the  distance  of  Abraham's  destination  from  Beersheba,  but 
it  has  not  prevented  considerable  divergence  of  opinion  on  the  subject. 
The  Jews  naturally  identify  the  place  with  the  site  of  the  temple,  the 
Samaritans  with  Gerizim ;  but  the  former  cannot  be  seen  afar  off,  and 
the  latter  is  too  far  (eighty  miles)  from  the  starting  point  to  have  been 
seen  so  soon  by  the  party.  A  much  more  eligible  mountain,  if  dis- 
tance and  prominence  in  the  landscape  both  be  taken  into  account,  is 
Nebi  Samwil,  about  five  miles  northwest  of  Jerusalem,  on  which  was 
the  famous  ancient  sanctuary  of  Mizpah,  where,  according  to  i  Sam. 
10  :  17  ff.,  Saul  was  chosen  king  of  Israel. 

5.  We  will  come  again  to  you;  a  promise  that  implies  great  faith  or 
conceals  a  desperate  purpose. 

6.  The  wood  of  the  burnt  offering;    the  wood  required  for  such  a 
sacrifice.     This  Abraham  took,  secured,  before  climbing  the  moun- 
tain, the  top  of  which  was  comparatively  bare.     He  laid  it  upon  Isaac, 
which  he  could  not  have  done  unless  the  boy  was  by  this  time  nearly 
grown.     The  knife  seems  to  have  been  borrowed  from  v.  10. 

7.  My  father  .  .  .     Here  am  I.    The   pathos  of  the  situation  is 
greatly  increased  by  this  simple  and  natural  dialogue.     The  fire; 
already  kindled  in  a  brazier. 

8.  God  will  provide  himself  the  lamb;  another  expression  of  bound- 
less confidence  or  desperate  resignation. 

9.  Abraham  built  the  altar  there.    This  rendering  is  ambiguous. 

166 


GENESIS  22  :  14 


there,  and  laid  the  wood  in  order,  and  bound  Isaac  his 

10.  son,  and  laid  him  on  the  altar,  upon  the  wood.     And 
Abraham  °stretched  forth  his  hand,  1  and  took  1  the 

11.  knife  to  slay  his  son.     And  the  °angel  of  *2  the  LORD  2f 
called  unto  him  °out  of  heaven,  and  said,  Abraham, 

12.  Abraham:  and  he  said,  Here  am  I.     And  he  said,  Lay 
not  thine  hand  upon  the  lad,  neither  do  thou  any  thing 
unto  him :  for  now  I  know  that  thou  fearest  God,  seeing 
thou  hast  not  withheld  thy  son,  3  thine  only  3  son,  from 

13.  me.     And  Abraham  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  looked,  and 
behold,  °4  behind*  him  a4  ram  caught  in  °the  thicket  by 
his  horns :  and  °Abraham  went  and  took  the  ram,  and 
offered  him  up  for  a  burnt  offering  in  the  stead  of  5  his 

14.  son.5  |  And  Abraham  called  the  name  of  that  place 

*  Gr.  to  lake.      •  Syr.  God.      3  Gr.  thy  beloved.      •»  m.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  one  (a). 
s  Gr.  Isaac  his  son. 


It  might  mean  that  the  patriarch  built  the  altar  in  existence  when  the 
author  wrote,  or  that  he  rebuilt  one  that  had  fallen  into  ruins.  The 
original,  which  has  the  adverb  immediately  after  the  verb,  and  there- 
fore is  best  translated  Abraham  built  there  an  altar,  naturally  refers  to 
one  reared  for  the  occasion.  The  series  of  acts  of  which  this  is  the 
first  make  a  masterly  climax  and  preparation  for  the  appearance  of  the 
angel  in  v.  n. 

10.  It  should  read,  not,  stretched  forth  his  hand,  and  took  the  knife, 
but  took  the  knife  and  stretched  forth  his  hand,  and  v.  12  seems  to  favor 
this  reading. 

11.  For  angel  of  the  Lord  read  angel  of  God,  as  in  21  :  17,  where, 
also,  he  calls  out  of  heaven.    The  change  was  made  to  bring  this  pas- 
sage into  conformity  with  v.  15. 

13.  The  word  rendered  behind  is  doubtless  an  error  for  the  very 
similar  word  meaning  one,  which,  however,  should  here  be  translated 
a  single,  the  ram  in  question  being  a  solitary  animal  that  had  strayed 
from  the  flock  to  which  it  belonged,  and,  as  he  browsed,  become 
entangled    in   the   thicket   by   his   long   recurved   horns.     Abraham 
offered  him  up  in  the  stead  of  his  son.     In  like  manner  Agamemnon 
sacrificed  a  stag  in  the  place  of  his  daughter.     Iphigenia  in  Aulis, 

9i. 

14.  The  conclusion  of  the  story  proper  is  found  in  v.  19.    The  inter- 

167 


22  :  15  GENESIS 

°Jehovah-jireh :  as  it  is  said  to  this  day,  01  In  the  mount 

15.  of  the  LORD  it  shall  be  provided.1     And  the  angel  of  the 
LORD  called  unto  Abraham  a  second  time  out  of  heaven, 

1 6.  and  said,  °By  myself  have  I  sworn,  °saitb,  the  LORD, 
because  thou  hast  done  this  thing,  and  hast  not  withheld 

17.  thy  son,  2  thine  only2  son3:    that  °in  blessing  I  will 
bless  thee,  and  in  Multiplying  I  will  multiply  thy  seed 
as  the  stars  of  the  heaven,  and  as  the  sand  which  is  upon 
the  sea  shore;   and  thy  seed  shall  °possess  the  gate  of 

18.  his  enemies;  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth  °4  be  blessed 4 :    because  thou  hast  obeyed  my 

1  m.  In  the  mount  of  the  Lord  he  shall  be  seen;  Gr.  In  the  mount  the  Lord  ap- 
peared; Vg.  In  the  mount  the  Lord  will  see;  Syr.  In  this  mount  the  Lord  will  see; 
Tar.  In  this  mount  Abraham  worshipped  before  the  Lord.  »  Gr.  thy  beloved. 
3  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  add,  from  me.  *  m.  bless  themselves. 

vening  verses  are  from  the  editor,  who,  after  recording  the  name  given 
to  the  place  of  sacrifice,  reports  another  renewal  of  the  promise  made 
to  Abraham  when  he  came  to  Palestine.  See  12  :  2.  Jehovah- 
jireh;  properly,  Y ' ahweh-yireh.  This  name  betrays  the  editor.  The 
Ephraimite  author  would  have  used  El,  God,  for  Yahweh.  See  35  :  7. 
Perhaps,  however,  it  has  been  changed,  the  original,  as  Gunkel  sug- 
gests, having  been  Jeri-el  or  Jeru-el,  which  actually  occurs  in  2  Chr. 
20  :  1 6  as  the  designation  for  a  tract  of  country  near  Tekoa.  In  the 
mount  of  the  LORD  it  shall  be  provided.  Better,  In  the  mount  where  the 
Lord  appeareth,  which  is  probably  a  play  upon  the  name  Moriah,  in- 
terpreted as  meaning  appearance  of  Yahweh. 

1 6.  By  myself  have  I  sworn.    The  Old  Testament  does  not  con- 
demn oaths,   when  taken  reverently  concerning  a  worthy  matter. 
See  21  :  23  f.     An  oath  by  Yahweh  was  Regarded  as  a  recognition  of 
his  divine  sovereignty.     See  Dt.  10  :  20.     When,  therefore,  he  swears 
by  himself  he  asserts  his  own  deity.    The  formula,  saith  the  LORD, 
is  a  prophetic  one,  found  only  once  (Num.  14  :  28)  elsewhere  in  the 
Pentateuch. 

17.  In  blessing  I  will  bless  thee  is  a  clumsy  imitation  of  the  Hebrew 
for  I  will  richly  bless  thee,  while  multiplying  I  will  multiply  is  a  similar 
distortion  of  I  will  greatly  multiply,  thy  seed.    The  word  gate  is  often 
used  in  the  Old  Testament  by  synecdoche  for  town  or  city.    To  pos- 
sess the  gate  of  one's  enemies,  therefore,  is  to  subdue  and  control 
them.     See  24  :  60. 

18.  On  be  blessed  see  12  :  3. 

168 


GENESIS 


22  : 24 


19.  voice.  |  So  Abraham  returned  unto  his  young  men,  and  E 
they  rose  up  and  went  together  to  Beer-sheba;    and 
°Abraham  dwelt  at  Beer-sheba. 

20.  And  it  came  to  pass  after  these  things,  that  |  it  was   R,  J 
told  Abraham,  saying,  Behold  °Milcah,  she  also  hath 

21.  borne  children  unto  thy  brother  Nahor;    °Uz  his  first- 
born, and  °Buz  his  brother,  and  °Kemuel  the  °father  of 

22.  Aram;    and  °Chesed,  and  °Hazo,  and  °Pildash,  and 

23.  °Jidlaph,1  and  °Bethuel.    And  °Bethuel  begat  Rebekah : 
These  eight 2  did  Milcah  bear  to  Nahor,  Abraham's 

24.  brother.     And  his  concubine,  whose  name  was  Reumah, 
she  also  bare  °Teba,  and  °Gaham,  and  °Tahash,  and 
°Maacah. 

1  Gr.  leldaph.       *  Gr.  adds,  sons. 

19.  Abraham  dwelt  at  Beer-sheba;  made  it  his  permanent  home. 
The  sacrifice  of  human  beings  is  frequently  referred  to  in  the  Old 
Testament.  It  was  very  common  among  the  peoples  surrounding  the 
Hebrews.  A  good  illustration  of  the  belief  in  its  efficacy  is  found  in 
the  account  of  the  siege  of  Kir-hereseth  by  the  kings  of  Israel,  Judah, 
and  Edom,  in  the  progress  of  which  the  king  of  Moab  sacrificed  his 
eldest  son  and  thereby  won  so  vigorous  help  from  Kemosh  his  god 
that  the  allies  retired  discomfited.  See  2  Kgs.  3  :  27  f. ;  also  Mic. 
6  :  7.  The  practice  was  not  so  common  among  the  Hebrews.  More- 
over, from  early  times  there  was  more  or  less  strenuous  opposition  to 
it.  The  prophets  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel  condemn  it  in  the  strongest 
terms.  See  Jer.  7:31;  Ezek.  16  :  20  f.  The  story  here  told  must 
have  had  its  influence,  for,  although,  as  has  been  observed,  the  direct 
teaching  emphasizes  especially  the  duty  of  loyalty  and  obedience  to 
the  divine  will,  it  is  made  perfectly  clear  that  the  favor  of  God  may  be 
secured  without  the  shedding  of  human  blood,  and  many  must  joy- 
fully have  accepted  the  doctrine. 

20-24.     F°r  the  comments  on  these  verses,  see  pp.  173-174. 

(e)  The  death  of  Sarah,  23  :  1-20.  On  the  death  of  Sarah,  Abra- 
ham, having  observed  the  customary  rites,  appeals  to  the  people  of 
Hebron  to  grant  him  a  place  of  burial,  and  finally  specifies  a  certain 
cave  which  he  would  gladly  acquire.  The  owner  signifies  his  willing- 
ness to  part  with  it,  and,  after  the  usual  civilities,  Abraham  completes 
the  purchase  and  lays  his  wife  to  rest  in  a  tomb  of  his  own.  The  whole 

169 


23  :  i  GENESIS 

P  23.       And  °the  life  of  Sarah  was  °an  hundred  and  seven  and 
twenty  years ;    °*1  these  were  1  2  the  years  of  the  life  of 

2.  Sarah.2  f     And  Sarah  died  in  3  Kiriath-arba  3  (the  same 
is  Hebron),  in  the  land  of  Canaan;    and  °Abraham 

3.  came  to  mourn  for  Sarah,  and  to  weep  for  her.     And 
Abraham  rose  up  from  before  his  dead,  and  spake  unto 

4.  °the  children  of  Heth,  saying,  I  am  a  stranger  and  a 
sojourner  with  you:    °give  me  a  possession  of  a  bury- 
ingplace  with  you,  that  I  may  bury  my  dead  out  of  my 

5.  sight.     And  the  children  of  Heth  answered  Abraham, 

6.  saying   °*4  unto  him,4f    Hear  us,  my  lord :    thou  art 

1  Heb.  Gr.  Vg.  om.      *  Gr.  Vg.  om.      3  Syr.  the  city  of  the  giants;    Sam.  adds, 
near  a  valley;   Gr.  adds,  which  is  in  the  hollow.       •»  Gr.  Nay  with  v.  6. 

is  from  the  Priestly  narrative,  and  a  good  example  of  its  circumstantial 
style. 

1.  The  life  of  Sarah.    The  original  reading  seems  to  have  been  the 
years  of  the  life  of  Sarah.     A  scribe  made  the  correction  on  the  margin, 
and  a  later  one  added  it  to  the  text.     Finally,  the  English  translators 
made  a  sentence  of  it  by  prefixing  these  were.     The  Greek  and  Latin 
versions  have  no  equivalent  for  it.     An  hundred  and  seven  and  twenty 
years;    Isaac  being  at  the  time  thirty-seven  and  his  father  a  hundred 
and  thirty-seven  years  of  age. 

2.  According  to  Josh.  14:15  Arba  was  "  the  great  man  among  the 
Anakim,"  but,  since  the  word  arba'  is  the  Hebrew  for  the  numeral 
four,  the  original  meaning  of  the  name  Kiriath-arba  was  probably 

Quadruple-city,  Tetrapolis.  According  to  the  Priestly  writer  it  was 
the  home,  not  only  of  Abraham,  but  of  Isaac  and  Jacob  after  him. 
See  35  :  27.  Abraham  came,  better,  went  in,  i.e.,  to  the  tent  where 
she  lay,  to  mourn  for  Sarah.  The  mourning  was  brief,  for  the  dead 
are  not  kept  in  the  East  as  they  are  by  occidentals.  The  Jews  now 
bury  within  twenty-four  hours  after  life  has  left  the  body.  See  Dt. 
21  :  23;  Mt.  27  :  57. 

3.  The  children  of  Heth,  the  Hittites.    The  Priestly  writer  consist- 
ently represents  them  as  the  original  occupants  of  the  country.     See 
v.  7  ;  26  :  34,  46.     On  the  facts  in  the  case,  see  10  :  15.     The  interview, 
as  appears  from  v.  10,  took  place  at  the  gate. 

4.  Give  me  a  buryingplace;    a  general  appeal.     He  seeks  the  con- 
sent of  the  community  before  attempting  to  deal  with  any  individual 
in  it.    On  family  tombs  see  Jud.  8  :  32;    2  Sam.  2  :  32;    etc. 

5.  For  unto  him  read  Nay  with  v.  6.     So  also  v.  14. 

170 


GENESIS 

°a  mighty  prince  among  us :  in  the  choice  of  our  sepul- 
chres bury  thy  dead ;  none  *  of  us  shall  withhold  from 
thee  his  sepulchre,  but  that  thou  mayest  bury  thy  dead. 

7.  And  Abraham  rose  up,  and  bowed  himself  to  the  people 

8.  of  the  land,  even  to  the  children  of  Heth.     And  he 2 
communed  with  them,  saying,  If  it  be  your  mind  that  I 
should  bury  my  dead  out  of  my  sight,  hear  me,  and 

9.  °entreat  for  me  to  Ephron  the  son  of  Zohar,  that  he 
may  give  me  °the  3  cave  of  Machpelah,3  which  he  hath, 
which  is  in  the  end  of  his  field ;  for  the  full  price  let  him 
give  it  to  me  °in  the  midst  of  you  for  a  possession  of  a 

10.  buryingplace.     Now  Ephron  was  sitting  in  the  midst  of 
the  children  of  Heth :  and  Ephron  the  Hittite  answered 
Abraham  in  the  audience  of  the  children  of  Heth,  even 

11.  of  all  that  went  in  at  the  gate  of  his  city,  saying,  Nay, 
my  lord,  hear  me:    the  field  give  I  thee,  and  the  cave 
that  is  therein,  I  give  it  thee:  in  the  presence  of  the 

12.  sons  of  my  people  give  I  it  thee:  bury  thy  dead.     And 
Abraham  bowed  himself  down  before  the  people  of  the 

1  Gr.  for  none.       a  Gr.  Abraham.      3  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  double  cave. 

6.  A  mighty  prince;  much  as  in  chapter  14.  The  words  that  follow 
must  not  be  misunderstood.  They  simply  express  the  universal 
willingness  to  allow  the  patriarch  to  acquire  a  tomb  among  them  and 
an  individual  readiness  to  oblige  him  —  for  a  consideration.  The 
oriental  trader  will  give  all  he  has  to  a  customer,  but  he  expects  "  as 
much  again." 

8.  Entreat  for  me  to  Ephron;    entreat  Ephron  for  me.     It  was  not 
necessary  for  Abraham  to  invite  the  bystanders  to  take  part  in  the 
negotiations.     In  the  Orient  they  always  expect  to  participate. 

9.  The  cave  of  Machpelah.     The  name,  which,  as  appears  from  v. 
17,  primarily  designated  a  place  or  district,  is  here  applied  to  the  cave, 
because  it  was  at  that  place  or  in  that  district.     Compare  v.  19.     In 
the  midst  of  you;    as  witnesses  to  the  transaction.     In  such  cases 
written  documents  were  unnecessary. 

ii.  The  limit  of  politeness  is  reached  when  Ephron  offers  the  field 
as  a  gift  to  Abraham  and  calls  the  people  to  witness  the  transfer. 

171 


GENESIS 


13.  land.    And  he  spake  unto  Ephron  in  the  audience  of 
the  people  of  the  land,  saying,  But  if  thou  *  wilt,  I  pray 
thee,2  hear  me ;   I  will  give  °the  price  of  the  field :  take 

14.  it  of  me,  and  I  will  bury  my  dead  there.     And  Ephron 

15.  answered  Abraham,  saying  °*2  unto  him,2t  My  lord, 
hearken  unto  me :  °a  piece  of  land  worth  °four  hundred 
shekels  of  silver,  what  is  that  betwixt  me  and  thee? 

1 6.  bury   therefore  thy  dead.     And  Abraham  hearkened 
unto  Ephron;   and  °Abraham  weighed  to  Ephron  the 
silver  which  he  had  named  in  the  audience  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Heth,  four  hundred  shekels  of  silver,  °current 

17.  money  with  the  merchant.     So  the  field  of  °Ephron, 
3  which  was  in  °Machpelah,3  which  was  °before  Mamre, 
the  field,4  and  °the  cave  which  was  therein,  and  all  °the 
trees  that  were  in  the  field,  that  were  in  all 5  the  border 

18.  thereof  round  about,  were  made  sure  unto  Abraham 
for  a  possession  in  the  presence  of  the  children  of  Heth, 

19.  before  6  all  that  went  in  at  the  gate  of  his  city.     And 
after  this,  Abraham  buried  Sarah  his  wife  in  °the  7  cave 

1  Sam.  Gr.  art  for  me,  *  Sam.  Gr.  Nay  with  v.  15.  3  Gr.  -which  was  in  the 
double  cave;  Vg.  in  which  was  (he  double  cave;  Syr.  which  was  in  the  double  one. 
*  Syr.  adds,  of  the  cave.  *  Syr.  om.  6  So  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.;  Heb.  among.  »  Gr.  Vg. 
Syr.  double  cave  of  the  field. 

13.  Abraham  wisely  insists  on  knowing  the  price  of  the  field. 

14.  On  unto  him,  see  v.  5. 

15.  A  piece  of  land.    The  original  has  simply  land,  which  is  more 
abrupt  and  therefore  better  expresses  Ephron's  feigned  impatience. 
Four  hundred  shekels  of  silver;   about  $265.68. 

16.  Abraham  weighed  the  silver;  there  being  at  that  time  no  coined 
money.     Current  with  the  merchant;   of  standard  quality,  and  there- 
fore receivable  anywhere  as  a  medium  of  exchange. 

17.  The  property  is  described  with  all  the  minuteness  of  a  modern 
deed:   the  former  owner,  Ephron,  its  location,  Machpelah,  its  bear- 
ings, before  Mamre,  the  contents,  the  cave  and  the  trees.    The  trees 
are  especially  mentioned  because  in  the  East  trees  do  not  always  go 
with  the  land  on  which  they  stand. 

19.   The  cave  of  the  field  of  Machpelah  is  identified  with  the  one 
172 


GENESIS 

of  the  field  of  Machpelah  7  before  Mamre  (the  same  is 
20.  Hebron),  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  And  the  field,1  and 
the  cave  that  is  therein,  were  made  sure  unto  Abraham 
for  a  possession  of  a  buryingplace  by  the  children  of 
Heth. 

1  Syr.  adds,  of  the  cave. 

in  the  strongly  walled  enclosure  called  the  Haram  at  Hebron.  The 
whole  is  a  hundred  and  ninety-seven  feet  long  by  a  hundred  and  eleven 
feet  in  width,  and  the  ancient  part  of  the  wall  is  thirty-nine  feet  high. 
The  cave  is  not  now  accessible,  but  certain  Arab  writers  relate  that 
it  was  more  than  once  visited  during  the  Crusades,  and  actually  found 
to  contain  a  number  of  bodies  believed  to  be  those  of  the  patriarchs 
and  their  wives. 

(5)    The  close  of  Abraham's  history,  22  :  20-24;   24  :  1-25  :  n 

The  remainder  of  the  history  of  Abraham  is  devoted  to  an  account 
of  the  increase  in  his  family  and  the  provision  he  made  for  his  children, 
but  especially  to 

(a)  The  marriage  of  Isaac  ;  22  :  20-24;  24.  The  two  passages  on 
this  subject  are  now  separated  by  chapter  23,  the  Priestly  account  of 
the  death  of  Sarah. 

(a)  The  family  of  Nahor;  22  :  20-24.  This  extract  from  the  Judean 
narrative  forms  an  introduction  to  chapter  24. 

20.  Milcah  .  .  .  Nahor.    The   marriage  of  Milcah   to  Nahor   is 
recorded  in  n  :  29.    They  were  then  at  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  and  there, 
according  to  the  Priestly   narrative,   they  remained.    The  Judean 
narrative,  however,  as  has  been  shown,  makes  them  as  well  as  Abra- 
ham  natives  of  Haran,   which  in   24  :  10   is  called    "  the  city  of 
Nahor." 

21.  Uz   no  doubt  represents  the  same  tribe  and  locality  as  in 
10  :  23,  but  here  the  Judean  tradition  makes  him,  not  the  son,  but  the 
uncle,  of  Aram.     See  also  36  :  28.     Buz,  whose  name,  in  Jer.  25  :  23, 
is  associated  with  those  of  Dedan  and  Tema,  must  be  assigned  to  the 
same  region.     It  is  the  Bazu  of  an  Assyrian  inscription  in  which 
Esarhaddon  describes  it  as  remote  from  his  own  country,  and  dry  and 
parched.     Elihu,  the  son  of   Barachel,  one  of  Job's  friends,  was  a 
Buzite.     See  Jb.  32  :  2.     Kemuel  is   not  elsewhere  mentioned,  but, 
if  he  was  the  father  of  Aram,  the  author  must  have  located  him  in  the 
region  of  the  upper  Euphrates.     Compare  10  :  22,  where  Aram  is  a 
son  of  Shem,  i.e.,  very  remotely  related  to  the  Hebrews. 

22.  Chesed  probably  represents  the  Kasdim,  or,  as  they  are  called 

173 


23  : 20 


GENESIS 


24.       And  °Abraham  was  old,  and  well  stricken  in  age: 

2.  and  the  LORD  had  blessed  Abraham  in  all  things.     And 
Abraham  1  said  unto *  his  servant,   °the  elder  of  his 
house,  °that  ruled  over  all  that  he  had,2  °Put,  I  pray 

3.  thee,  thy  hand  under  my  thigh:   and  I  will  make  thee 
swear  by  the  LORD,  the  God  of  heaven  and  the  God  of 

1  Syr.  called.      *  Syr.  adds,  and  said  unto  him. 

in  English,  Chaldeans;  who,  in  Jb.  i  :  17,  are  described  as  invading  the 
land  of  Uz  and  driving  off  Job's  camels.  Their  original  home  was  at 
the  head  of  the  Persian  Gulf.  See  also  2  Kgs.  24  :  2.  On  the  relation 
of  Chesed  to  Arpachshad,  see  10  :  21.  Hazo  is  doubtless  the  Hazu 
mentioned  by  Esarhaddon  in  the  inscription  above  cited  with  Bazu. 
Pildash  and  Jidlaph  have  not  thus  far  been  identified.  The  former 
of  the  two  names  is  probably  corrupt.  Bethuel  is,  of  course,  the  branch 
of  the  family  of  Nahor  whose  home  was  about  Haran. 

23.  The  object  of  this  genealogy  appears  in  the  statement   that 
Bethuel  begat  Rebekah. 

24.  Teba  is  identified  with  a  town  wrongly  called  Betah  in  2  Sam. 
8  :  8,  but  Tebah  in  the  Syriac  Version  and  Tibhath  in  i  Chr.  18  :  8. 
Gaham  and  Tahash  have  not  been  identified.     Maacah  is  the  Aram- 
maacah  of  i  Chr.  19  :  6,  a  small  Syrian  kingdom  on  the  northern 
border  of  Bashan  which  maintained  its  independence  against  the 
Hebrews.     See  Josh.  12  :  5;    13  :  n. 

Thus  it  appears  that  the  family  of  Nahor,  consisting  of  twelve 
branches,  was  distributed  along  the  eastern  border  of  Palestine  from 
the  Persian  Gulf  to  Mt.  Hermon. 

(6)  Abraham's  charge,  24  :  1-9.  Abraham  summons  his  steward 
and  requires  him  to  take  a  solemn  oath  to  seek  a  wife  for  his  son  in  his 
own  country  rather  than  in  Canaan,  but  in  no  case  to  take  the  young 
man  back  to  his  relatives.  The  source  throughout  is  the  Judean  nar- 
rative. 

1.  Abraham  was  old.    The  position  of  this  chapter,  after  chapter 
23,  would  indicate  that  he  was  more  than  a  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven  years  of  age.     See  23  :  i.    This,  however,  is  not  its  original 
connection. 

2.  The  elder  of  his  house;    whose  name,  according  to  15  :  2  (E), 
was  Eliezer.     That  ruled  over  all  that  he  had.     It  is  common  in  the 
East  to  place  great  responsibility  upon  trusted  servants.     Put  thy 
hand  under  my  thigh.    The  servant,  according  to  Dillmann,   thus 
called  the  offspring  of  Abraham  to  witness  his  oath  and  made  them  the 
avengers  of  any  failure  to  fulfil  it.     See  46  :  26. 

174 


GENESIS 


24:9 


the  earth,  that  thou  shalt l  not  take  a  wife  for  my  son  of 
the  daughters  of  the  Canaanites,  among  whom  I  dwell : 

4.  but  thou  shalt  go  unto  °my  country,2  and  to  °my  kin- 

5.  dred,  and  take3  a  wife  for  °my  son  Isaac.     And  the 
servant  said  unto  him,  °Peradventure  the  woman  will 
not  be  willing  to  follow  me  unto  this  land :  must  I  needs 
bring  thy  son  again  unto  the  land  from  whence  thou 

6.  earnest?     And  Abraham  said  unto  him,  Beware  thou 

7.  that  thou  °bring  not  my  son  thither  again.     The  LORD, 
°the  God  of  heaven,4  that  took  me  from  my  father's 
house,  and  from  the  land  of  my  nativity,  and  that  spake 
unto  me,  and  °that  sware  unto  me,  saying,  Unto  thy 
seed  will  I  give  this  land ;   he  shall 5  send  his  angel  be- 
fore thee,  and  thou  shalt  take  a  wife  for  my  son  from 

8.  thence.     And  if  the  woman  be  not  willing  to  follow  thee,6 
then  thou  shalt  be  clear  from  °this  my  oath :  only  thou 

9.  shalt  not  bring  my  son  thither  again.     And  the  servant 

1  SV  wilt.       *  Gr.  adds,  where  1  was  born.      *  Gr.  Vg.  add,  thence.       *  Gr.  adds, 
and  the  God  of  the  earth.       s  SV  will.     6  Gr.  adds,  unto  this  land. 

4.  My  country;  according  to  v.  10,  Mesopotamia.     Compare  n  :  31. 
My  kindred;    of  the  family  of  Nahor.     The  intermarriage  of  cousins 
is  generally  favored  in  the    East.     My  son  Isaac.     There  is  nothing 
here  to  indicate  how  old  he  was  at  this  time,  but  oriental  custom  war- 
rants one  in  assuming  that  he  was  still  quite  young.     Yet  a  computa- 
tion based  on  23  :  i  would  make  him  nearly  forty  years  old.     See  also 
25  :  20. 

5.  Hebrew  parents  did  not  always  consult  their  children  when  ar- 
ranging  marriages  for  them,   but  the  objection,   Peradventure   the 
woman  will  not  be  willing,  indicates  that  the  wishes  of  the  young 
people  were  not  entirely  ignored.     See  14  :  6;    Jud.  14  :  i. 

6.  Bring  not  my  son  thither  again;  and  thus  forfeit  the  Promised 
Land. 

7.  The  God  of  heaven.    The  Greek  Version  adds,  and  the  God 
of  the  earth,  but  perhaps  it  borrowed  this  phrase  from  v.  3.     That 
sware  unto  me.     See  15  :  18. 

8.  This  my  oath;    forbidding  the  marriage  of  Isaac  with  a  Ca- 
naanite. 

175 


GENESIS 


put  his  hand  under  the  thigh  of  Abraham  his  master,  and 
sware  to  him  Concerning  this  matter. 

10.  And  the  servant  took  °ten  camels,  of  the  camels  of 
his  master,   **  and  departed  ^j    °2  having  all  goodly 
things  of  his  master's  2  in  his  hand :   and  he  arose,  and 

11.  went  to  °Mesopotamia,3  unto  °the  city  of  Nahor.     And 
he  made  the  camels  to  kneel  down  °without  the  city  °by 
the  well  of  water  at  the  time  of  evening,  the  time  that 

12.  women  go  out  to  draw  water.     And  he  said,4  O  LORD, 
the  God  of  my  master  Abraham,  °send  me,  I  pray  thee, 
good  speed  this  day,  and  shew  kindness  unto  my  master 

13.  Abraham.     Behold,  I  stand5  by  the  fountain  of  water; 
and  °the  daughters  of  the  men  of  the  city  come  6  out  to 

1  Gr.  om.  *  m.  for  all  the  goods  of  his  master  were.  s  Tar.  adds,  which  is  on 
the  Euphrates.  *  Syr.  prayed  and  said.  *  SV  am  standing.  6  SV  are  coming. 

9.  Concerning  this  matter;    or  to  this  effect. 

(c)  At  the  well  of  Haran,  24  :  10-27.  The  steward,  departing  on 
his  errand,  comes  in  due  time  to  the  well  of  Haran;  where  he  meets 
Rebekah,  recognizes  her  as  the  woman  destined  for  Isaac,  makes  her 
valuable  presents,  and  requests  entertainment  at  her  father's  house, 
at  the  same  time  acknowledging  the  agency  of  Yahweh  in  the  success 
of  his  mission.  The  source  of  this,  as  of  the  preceding  paragraph,  is 
the  Judean  narrative. 

10.  Ten  camels.     So  many  of  these  animals  were  required  for  the 
steward  and  his  attendants,  the  supplies  for  the  journey  of  not  less 
than  five  hundred  miles,  and  the  presents  for  the  future  wife  of  Isaac 
and  her  relatives.     Having  all  goodly  things  of  his  master's  in  his 
hand.     This  rendering  is  supported  by  the  versions,  but  not  warranted 
by  the  Hebrew  text,  reproduced  in  the  margin,  which  merely  implies 
what    the    English    asserts.     Mesopotamia;     Heb.,   Aram-naharaim, 
(Syria-of -two-rivers}.    The  name  seems  originally  to  have  been  Aram- 
naharim  (Syria  of  rivers),  and  to  have  designated  the  well-watered 
region  of  the  upper  Euphrates  and  its  tributaries.   On  the  city  of  Nahor, 
Haran,  see  n  :  31. 

11.  Without  the  city;    not  sure  of  his  next  move.     By  the  well  of 
water;   the  women's  exchange  of  an  oriental  town. 

12.  Send  me  good  speed  this  day.     His  only  thought  is  of  his  mis- 
sion. 

13.  The  daughters  of  an  oriental  community  are  still    its  water- 

176 


GENESIS 


24 


14.  draw  water:  and  let  it  come  to  pass,  that  the  damsel  to 
whom  I  shall  say,  °Let  down  thy  pitcher,  I  pray  thee, 
that  I  may  drink ;   and  she  shall  say,  Drink,  and  I  will 
give  thy  camels  drink  also  1 :   let  the  same  be  she  that 
thou  hast  appointed  for  thy  servant  Isaac ;  and  thereby 
shall  I  know  that  thou  hast  shewed  kindness 2  unto  my 

15.  master.3    And  it  came  to  pass,  °before  he  had  done 
speaking,4  that,  behold,  Rebekah  came  out,  who  was 
born  to  Bethuel  the  son  of  Milcah,  the  wife  of  Nahor, 
Abraham's  brother,  with  her  pitcher  °upon  her  shoulder. 

1 6.  And  the  damsel  was  very  fair  to  look  upon,  a  virgin,5 
neither  had  any  man  known  her:   and  she  went  down 
to  the  fountain,  and  filled  her  pitcher,  and  came  up. 

17.  And  the  servant  ran  to  meet  her,  and  said,  Give  me  to 

18.  drink,  I  pray  thee,  a  little  water  of  thy  pitcher.     And 
she  said,  Drink,  °my  lord:    and  she  hasted,  and  let 
down  her  pitcher  upon  her  hand,8  and  gave  him  drink. 

19.  7  And  when  she  had  done  giving  him  drink,7  she  said,  °I 

1  Gr.  until  they  have  done  drinking.  3  Syr.  adds,  and  truth.  3  Sara.  Gr.  add, 
Abraham.  *  Gr.  Vg.  add,  within  himself.  s  Vg.  -very  beautiful  virgin.  6  Gr. 
Vg.  arm.  ">  Gr.  until  he  had  done  drinking  with  v.  18;  Vg.  And  when  he  had 
done  drinking. 

carriers,  being  very  early  taught  to  balance  on  their  heads  jars  which 
are  gradually  increased  in  size  as  they  grow  older. 

14.  Let  down  thy  pitcher.    The  steward  feels  justified  in  going  so 
far,  since  no  maiden,  however  modest,  would  be  offended  by  being 
asked  for  a  drink,  and  few  would  think  of  refusing  such  a  request. 
It  would  not,  however,  he  argues,  occur  to  one,  unless  she  were  divinely 
prompted  so  to  do,  to  offer  to  water  his  camels. 

15.  Before  he  had  done  speaking;    to  himself,  as  the  received  text 
says  in  v.  45,  and  the  Greek  and  Latin  versions  in  this  passage.     Upon 
her  shoulder.    The  women  of  Palestine  more  frequently  carry  their 
jars,  whether  full  or  empty,  on  their  heads. 

18.  My  lord.    The  title  sounds  extravagant,  but  it  is  still  used  in 
the  East  under  similar  circumstances. 

19.  I  will  draw  for  thy  camels;  no  light  task  in  view  of  the  capacity 
of  these  animals. 

N  177 


24  :  20  GENESIS 


will  draw  for  thy  camels  also  until  they  l  have  done 

20.  drinking.     And  she  hasted,  and  emptied  her  pitcher 
into  °the  trough,  and  ran  again  unto  the  well  to  draw, 

21.  and  drew  for  all  his  camels.     °And  the  man2  looked 
steadfastly  on  her;  holding  his  peace,  to  know  whether 
the  LORD  had  made  his  journey  prosperous  or  not. 

22.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  3  the  camels  3  had  done  drink- 
ing, °that  the  man  took  °4  a  golden  ring 4  °of  5  half  a 
shekel5  weight,6  and  two  bracelets  for  her  hands  °of 

23.  ten  shekels  weight  of  gold;   and  said,  Whose  daughter 
art  thou?   tell  me,  I  pray  thee.     Is  there  room  in  thy 

24.  father's  house  for  us  to  lodge  in?     And  she  said  unto 
him,  I  am  the  daughter  of  Bethuel  the  son  of  Milcah, 

25.  which  7  she  bare  unto  Nahor.     She  said  moreover  unto 
him,  We  have  both  °straw  and  provender  enough,  and 

1  Gr.  Vg.  they  all.  '  Syr.  adds,  drank  and.  3  Gr.  all  the  camels.  *  Gr.  Vg. 
golden  earrings;  Syr.  a  golden  earring.  s  Gr.  a  drachma;  Vg.  two  shekels;  Syr.  a 
shekel.  6  Sam.  adds,  and  put  it  on  her  nose.  1  SV  whom. 

20.  The  trough;    a  large  stone  hollowed  out  and  placed  near  the 
well  for  the  convenience  of  animals.     Sometimes  there  are  several 
of  them. 

21.  And  the  man   looked   steadfastly  on  her.     Better,  while  the 
man  gazed  at  her.     His  prayer  had  been  so  promptly  answered  that 
he  hesitated  to  believe  his  own  senses. 

22.  A  golden  ring;    here,  as  appears  from  v.  47,  a  nosering.     The 
custom  of  wearing  nose  jewels  still  prevails  in  Palestine,  but,  since 
rings,  if  large,  are  often  in  the  way,  their  place  is  sometimes  supplied 
by  studs  screwed  into  one  of  the  lobes  of  the  nose.     Of  half  a  shekel 
weight;    worth,  therefore,  about  $5.     Of  ten  shekels  weight;    their 
value  being  about  $100.     It  seems  a  little  hasty  for  the  steward  to  give 
the  girl  so  valuable  presents  before  inquiring  who  she  is.     In  v.  47 
he  is  made  to  say  that  he  did  not  produce  them  until  he  had  made  such 
an  inquiry.     Perhaps,  therefore,  this  verse,  from  that  (and)  the  man 
onward  should  follow  v.  25. 

25.  Straw  and  provender.  By  straw  is  here  meant  the  bruised  and 
broken  stalks  of  wheat  or  barley  from  the  oriental  threshing-floor; 
by  provender  probably  barley,  which  is  usually  mixed  with  the  so- 
called  tibn  when  it  is  fed  to  animals.  Insert  here  22b. 

178 


GENESIS  24  : 30 


26.  room  to  lodge  in.     And  the  man  bowed  his  head  and 

27.  worshipped  the  LORD.     And  he  said,  Blessed  be  the 
LORD,  the  God  of  my  master  Abraham,  who  hath  not 
°forsaken  his  mercy  and  his  truth  toward  my  master  i : 
as  for  me,  the  LORD  hath  led  me  °in  the  way 2  to  the 
house  of  °my  master's  brethren.3* 

28.  And  the  damsel  ran  and  told  her  °mother's4  house  J 

29.  5  according  to   °these  words.5     And  Rebekah   had  a 
brother,  and  his"  name  was  Laban :  °and  Laban  ran  out 

30.  unto  the  man,  unto  the  fountain.     And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  he  saw  °the  ring,6  and  the  bracelets  upon  his 
sister's   hands,   and  when  he  heard   7  the  words  7  of 
Rebekah  his  sister,  saying,  °Thus  spake  the  man  unto 
me;  that  °he  came  unto  the  man ;  and  behold,  he  stood 


1  Sam.  adds,  Abraham.  *  Vg.  Tar.  right  way.  3  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  sing. 
*  Syr.  father's.  s  Vg.  all  thai  she  had  heard;  Syr.  these  things.  6  Gr.  Vg.  earrings; 
Syr.  earring.  1  Vg.  all  the  words. 

27.  The  steward  gives  thanks  in  his  master's  name  that  Yahweh 
has  not  forsaken,  withheld,  his  mercy  and  his  truth,  the  kindness  and 
faithfulness  of  the  past,  from  Abraham;    and  in  his  own  name  for 
guidance  in  the  way,  or,  as  v.  48,   the  Vulgate,   and   the  Targum 
have  it,  in  a  direct  way,  on  his  mission.     My  master's  brethren.     Read, 
with  the  versions,  my  master's  brother. 

(d)  The  winning  of  Rebekah,  24  :  28-53.  The  steward,  at  the 
invitation  of  Laban,  betakes  himself  to  the  house  of  Rebekah's 
relatives,  but  refuses  to  partake  of  their  hospitality  until  he  has  told 
his  story  and  they  have  consented  to  her  marriage  with  Isaac.  Then 
he  again  renders  thanks  to  Yahweh  and  distributes  the  presents  he 
has  brought  for  the  family.  This  paragraph  also  is  entirely  from  the 
Judean  narrative. 

28.  The    expression    mother's    house    indicates    that    Rebekah's 
father  Bethuel  was  no  longer  living.     These  words;    the  things  that 
happened  at  the  well,  as  they  have  been  detailed. 

29.  The  latter  part  of  this  verse,  from  and  Laban  ran  onward,  be- 
longs in  v.  30. 

30.  The  ring;  as  above,  a  nosering.     Thus  spake  the  man  unto  me. 
Insert  here  2gb,  rendering  it,  that  Laban  ran  out  unto  the  man,  unto 
the  fountain,  and  add  and  he  came,  etc. 

179 


24  :  31  GENESIS 


31.  by  the  camels  at  the  fountain.     And  he  said,  Come  in, 
01  thou  blessed  of  the  LORD  l ;  wherefore  standest  thou 
without?   for  °I  have  prepared  the  house,  and  room 

32.  for  the  camels.     And  °2  the  man  came 2*  into  the  house, 
and  he  ungirded  the  camels;    and  he  gave  straw  and 
provender  for  the  camels,  and  water  to  wash  his  feet, 

33.  and  °the  men's  feet  that  were  with  him.    And  3  there 
was  set 3  °meat 4  before  him 5  to  eat :  but  he  said,  I  will 
not  eat,  until  I  have  told  mine  errand.     And  °he 6  said, 

34.  Speak  on.     And  he  said,   I  am  Abraham's  servant. 

35.  And  the  LORD  hath  blessed  my  master  °7  greatly ;  and  °he 
is  become  7  great :  and  he  hath  8  given  him  8  flocks  and 
herds,  and  9  silver  and  gold,  and  9  menservants  and 

36.  maidservants,10  and  9  camels  and  asses.     And  Sarah  my 
master's  wife  bare  a  son  to  my  master  when  °she  n*  was 

*  Gr.  blessed  be  the  Lord.  *  Vg.  he  brought  him.  3  Gr.  Syr.  he  set.  •*  SV  food; 
Heb.  om.  s  Gr.  Syr.  them.  6  Sam.  Syr.  they.  1  Syr.  and  he  is  become  very 
great.  8  Syr.  om.  »  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  om.  10  Syr.  adds,  she-asses.  "  Sam.  Gr. 
mss.  he. 


31.  Thou  blessed  of  the  Lord.     Here,  as  in  30  :  27,  the  writer  seems 
to  have  meant  to  represent  Laban  as  a  worshipper  of  Abraham's 
God.     In  the  Ephraimite  narrative  he  is  an  idolater.     See  31  :  29. 
I  have  prepared  the  house.     Since  he  had  had  no  time  to  make  special 
arrangements  for  his  guest,  the  Perfect  must  here  be  interpreted,  as 
it  often  has  to  be  in  the  Old  Testament,  as  meaning  that  the  neces- 
sary preparation  was  assured.     See  15  :  18. 

32.  The  man  came  into  the  house.     It  is  better,  following  the 
Vulgate,  to  read,  he  (Laban)  brought  the  man  into  the  house.    Other- 
wise it  will  be  necessary  to  change  the  subject  with  one  of  the  follow- 
ing verbs.     The   men's  feet   that   were   with  him  surely  needs  re- 
vision. 

33.  The  word  meat  (SV  food),  which  is  an  addition  by  the  trans- 
lators, should  either  be  italicized,  or  better,  omitted.     For  he  said  read, 
with  the  Samaritans  and  the  Syriac  Version,  they  said. 

35.  He  is  become  great.     Better,  with  the  Syriac  Version,  which 
attaches  the  word  rendered  greatly  to  this  clause,  he  is  become  very 
great.     See  v.  i. 

36.  She  was  old.     Better,  with  the  Samaritans  and  21  :  2,  7,  he 

180 


GENESIS  24  : 44 


37.  old:  and  °unto  him  hath  he  given  all  that  he  hath.     And 
my  master  made  me  swear,  saying,  Thou  shalt  not  take 
a  wife  for  my  son  of  the  daughters  of  the  Canaanites,  in 

38.  whose  land  I  dwell :  but  thou  shalt  go  unto  °my  father's 
house,  and  to  my  kindred,  and  take  a  wife  for  my  son.1 

39.  And  I  said  unto  my  master,  Perad venture  the  woman 

40.  will  not  follow  me.     And  he 2  said  unto  me,  °The  LORD, 
before  whom  I  walk,  will  send  his  angel  with  thee,  and 
prosper  thy  way ;  and  thou  shalt  take  a  wife  for  my  son 

41.  of  my  kindred,  and  of  my  father's  house:    then  shalt 
thou  be  clear  from  my  oath,  when  thou  comest  to  my 
kindred;   and  °if  they  give  her  not  to  thee,  thou  shalt 

42.  be  clear  from  my  oath.     And  I  came  this  day  unto  the 
fountain,  and  said,  O  LORD,  the  God  of  my  master 
Abraham,  if  now  thou  do  prosper  my  way  which  I  go : 

43.  behold,  I  stand3  by  the  fountain  of  water4;  and  let  it 
come  to  pass,  that  the  maiden  5  which  cometh  forth  to 
draw,5  to  whom  I  shall  say,  °Give  me,  I  pray  thee,  a  little 

44.  water  of  thy  pitcher  to  drink ;  and  she  shall  say  to  me, 
Both  drink  thou,  and  I  will  also  draw  for  thy  camels :  let 
the  same  be  the  woman  whom  the  LORD  hath  appointed 


1  Gr.  Syr.  add,  thence.  *  Syr.  my  master.  J  SV  am  standing.  *  Gr.  adds,  and 
the  daughters  of  the  men  of  the  city  come  forth  to  draw  water.  s  SV  that  etc.;  Gr. 
om. 


ivas  old.     Unto  him  hath  he  given  all  that  he  hath.    This  statement 
has  been  supposed  to  require  that  25  :  5  be  inserted  after  v.  i,  but  per- 
haps it  is  another  case  of  the  use  of  the  Perfect  for  an  act  that  will  be, 
but  has  not  yet  been,  performed.     See  v.  31. 
38.    My  father's  house;    in  v.  4,  "  my  country." 

40.  The  LORD,  before  whom  I  walk.    The  steward  uses  a  more 
general  expression  than  Abraham  used  to  him.     See  v.  7. 

41.  If  they  give  her  not.     He  now  thinks  there  is  no  doubt  about 
Rebekah's  willingness  to  go  with  him. 

43.   Give  me,  I  pray  thee  ...  to  drink.     Better,  Give  me  to  drink, 
I  pray  thee,  as  in  the  original. 

181 


24  :  45  GENESIS 

45.  for  1  my  master's  son.1     And 2  before  I  had  done  speak- 
ing °in  mine  heart,  behold,  Rebekah  came  forth  with 
her  pitcher  on  her  shoulder;   and  she  went  down  unto 
the  fountain  and  °drew:   and  I  said  unto  her,  °Let  me 

46.  drink,  I  pray  thee.3    And  she  made  haste,  and  let  down 
her  pitcher  from  4  her  shoulder,4  and  said,  °Drink,  and 
I  will  give  thy  camels  drink  also:  so  I  drank  and  she 

47.  made  the  camels  drink  also.     And  I  asked  her  and  said, 
Whose  daughter  art  thou  ?     And  she  said,  The  daughter 
of  Bethuel,5  Nahor's  son,  whom  Milcah  bare  unto  him : 
and  I  put  the  ring  6  7upon  her  nose,7  and  the  bracelets 

48.  upon  her  hands.     And  I  bowed  my  head,  and  wor- 
shipped the  LORD,  and  blessed  the  LORD,  the  God  of 
my  master  Abraham,  which  8  had  led  me  in  °the  right 

49.  way  9  to  take  my  master's  brother's  °daughter   for  his 
son.     And  now  if  ye  will  °deal  kindly  and  truly  with 
my  master,  tell  me:   and  if  not,  tell  me;  that  I  may 

50.  °turn  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left.     Then  Laban  * 
and  °Bethuel  |  answered  and  said,  The  thing  proceed- 

1  Gr.  his  servant  Isaac.  *  Gr.  adds,  it  came  to  pass.  3  Sam.  Syr.  add,  a  little 
water  from  thy  pitcher;  Gr.  mss.  Vg.  a  little.  *  Heb.  on  her.  s  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  add, 
am  I.  6  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  earrings.  '  Vg.  to  adorn  her  face;  Syr.  in  her  ears.  8  SV 
who.  o  Syr.  adds,  to  my  master's  brother's  house. 

45.  In  mine  heart.     See  v.  15.     After  drew  one  must  supply  and 
came  up,  as  in  v.  16.     Let  me  drink,  I  pray  thee.    The  Samaritans 
and  the  Syriac  Version  add,  probably  correctly,  a  little  water  from 
thy  pitcher,  as  in  v.  17. 

46.  For  Drink,  read  Drink,  my  lord,  as  in  v.  18. 

47.  On  the  position  of  the  last  clause,  see  v.  22. 

48.  The  right  way;   a  straight  course,  directly.     Daughter;   strictly 
speaking,  granddaughter.     See  22  :  21  f. 

49.  Deal  kindly  and  truly;    lit.,  do  kindness  and  faithfulness,  as  in- 
struments of  the  divine  favor.      See  v.  27.     Turn  to  the  right  hand 
or  to  the  left;    act  accordingly. 

50.  This  is  the  only  place  in  which  Bethuel  appears  as  an  actor, 
and  here  his  name  is  no  doubt  an  addition  to  the  original  text.     See  vs. 

182 


GENESIS 


24  : 54 


51.  eth  from  the  LORD:   we  cannot  speak  unto  thee  01  bad 
or  good.1     Behold,  Rebekah  is  before  thee,  take  her,  and 

52.  go,  and  let  her  be  thy  master's  son's  wife,  °as  the  LORD 
hath  spoken.     And  it  came  to  pass,  that,  when  Abra- 
ham's servant  heard  their  words,   °he  bowed  himself 

53.  down  to  the  earth  unto  the  LORD.     And  2  the  servant2 
brought  forth  °jewels  of  silver,  and  jewels  of  gold,  and 
°raiment,  and  gave  them  to  Rebekah :  he  gave  also  to 
her  brother 3  and  to  her  mother  °precious  things. 

54.  And  they  4  did  eat  and  drink,  he  and  the  men  that  J 
were  with  him,  and  tarried  all  night;  and  they  rose  up 
in  the  morning,  and  he  said,  Send  me  away  5  unto  my 

1  Vg.  any  thing  beyond  his  pleasure;  Syr.  good  or  bad.  '  Gr.  he.  3  Gr.  mss. 
Vg.  Syr.  plu.  *  Vg.  adds,  made  a  feast,  and.  s  Gr.  adds,  that  I  may  go. 

28,  53,  55.     Bad  or  good;    like  the  expression,  "  from  bad  to  good," 
anything  whatever.     See  31  :  24,  29. 

51.  As  the  LORD  hath  spoken;  a  very  significant  expression.     It 
shows  that  the  Hebrews,  sometimes  at  least,  derived  their  knowledge 
of  God's  will  by  inference  from  current  events;    and  that,  therefore, 
it  is  not  necessary  in  all  cases  to  interpret  the  formula,  "Thus  saith 
Yahweh,"  as  denoting  a  direct  revelation. 

52.  He  bowed  himself  .  .  .  unto  the  LORD;  thus  a  second  time 
acknowledging  the  divine  hand  in  his  experience. 

53.  The  word  rendered  jewels  means  also  vessels  or  articles.    The 
orientals  have  a  great  fondness  for  jewellery,  and  their  women  wear  it 
on  their  heads  and  necks,  and  on  their  ankles  as  well  as  on  their  hands 
and  arms.    The  gifts  to  Rebekah  include  raiment.    To-day,  in  Pales- 
tine, the  wedding  costume  of  the  bride  is  provided  by  her  future  hus- 
band.   There  is  no  reference  to  a  payment  for  the  bride,  unless  it  is 
found  in  the  precious  things  given  to  her  family.     The  bride  is  now 
virtually   sold  to  her  husband  or  his  family,   the   price  sometimes 
reaching  hundreds  of  dollars.     It  is  this  custom  that  reconciles  par- 
ents to  having  girls  in  the  family. 

(e)  Rebekah  in  Canaan,  24  :  54-67.  The  steward,  having  accom- 
plished his  purpose,  presses  for  an  immediate  departure.  The  family 
object,  but  finally,  finding  Rebekah  willing,  they  send  her  away  with 
their  blessing,  and  the  steward  conducts  her  to  Canaan,  where  Isaac 
makes  her  his  wife.  This  paragraph,  also,  is  entirely  from  the 
Judean  narrative. 

183 


24  :  55  GENESIS 

55.  master.     And  her  brother1  and  her  mother  said,  Let 
the  damsel  abide  with  us  °*2  a  few  days,  at  the  least  ten  2| ; 

56.  after  that  she  shall  go.     And  he  said  unto  them,  Hinder 
me  not,  °seeing  the  LORD  hath  prospered  my  way ;  send 

57.  me  away,  that  I  may  go  to  my  master.     And  they  said, 
We  will  call  the  damsel,  and  3  inquire  at  her  mouth.3 

58.  And  they  called  Rebekah,  and  said  unto  her,  °Wilt  thou 

59.  go  with  this  man?    And  she  said,  °I  will  go.     And  they 
sent  away  Rebekah  their  sister,  and  °her  nurse,4  and 

60.  Abraham's  servant,  and  his  men.     And  they  blessed 
Rebekah,5  and  said  unto  her,  Our  sister,  °6  be  thou  6 
°the  mother  of  thousands  of  7  ten  8  thousands,  and  let 

*  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  plu.  '  Sam.  days  or  a  month;  Gr.  about  ten  days;  Syr.  a  month  of 
days;  Tar.  a  year  or  ten  months.  3  Tar.  hear  what  she  says.  •*  Gr.  possessions. 
s  Gr.  Syr.  Rebekah  their  sister;  Vg.  their  sister.  *  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  our  sister  art  tlwu; 
be.  i  Syr.  Tar.  and.  «  Vg.  om. 

55.  A  few  days,  at  the  least  ten.     Similarly  the  Greek  and  Latin  ver- 
sions, while  the  Targum  has  a  year  or  ten  months.    The  Samaritans 
seem  to  have  preserved  the  original  reading,  days  or  a  month,  for  which 
the  Syriac  version  has  a  month  of  days.    This  reading  is  supported  by 
29  :  14,  where  Laban  invites  Jacob  to  spend  with  him  "  a  month  of 
days."     In  a  land  of  long  engagements  this  would  seem  to  the  friends 
of  Rebekah  an  almost  indecently  brief  period. 

56.  Seeing  the  LORD  hath  prospered  my  way.     He  interprets  the 
divine  aid  hitherto  granted  as  an  indication  that  his  mission  should 
be  completed  as  soon  as  possible.    Then,  too,  he  doubtless  feared 
that,  if  he  tarried,  his  master  might  die  during  his  absence.     See 
v.  67. 

58.  Wilt  thou  go  with  this  man  ?    The  question  is  not  whether  she 
will  marry  Isaac  or  not,  —  that  has  been  settled,  —  but  whether  she 
will  make  the  journey  to  Canaan  with  the  steward  or  follow  him  later. 
I  will  go.    The  Hebrew  idiom  requires  that,  when  the  question  con- 
tains a  verb,  this  verb  be  repeated  in  the  answer.     See  29  :  5. 

59.  Her  nurse;   whose  name,  according  to  35  :  8,  was  Deborah. 

60.  Be  thou,  etc.;    another  example  of  the  oriental  passion  for 
offspring.     See  17  :  18;    Ruth  4:11  f.    The  words  the  mother  of, 
have  been  unnecessarily  supplied  by  the  translators.     For  thousands 
of,  the  Syriac  Version  has  thousands  and,  ten  thousands,  and  this 
is  probably  the  original  reading.     See  Ps.  144  :  13.    The  gate.     Read 

184 


GENESIS  24  : 66 


thy  seed  possess  °the  gate  of  those  which  x  hate  them. 

6 1 .  And  Rebekah  arose,  and  her  damsels,  and  they  rode  upon 
the  camels,  and  followed  the  man:    and  the  servant 

62.  took  Rebekah,  and  went  his  way.     And  Isaac  came 
2  from  the  way  of  2  °Beer-lahai-roi ;  for  he  dwelt  in  °the 

63.  land  of  the  South.     And  °Isaac  went  out  °to  meditate 3 
in  the  field  at  the  eventide:   and  he  lifted  up  his  eyes, 

64.  and  saw,  and,  behold,  there  were  camels 4  coming.     And 
Rebekah  lifted  up  her  eyes,  and  when  she  saw  Isaac, 

65.  °she  5  lighted  off 5  the  camel.     And  she  said  unto  the 
servant,  What  man  is  this  that  walketh  in  the  field  to 
meet  us  ?    And  the  servant  said,  °It  is  my  master :  and 

66.  °she  took  her  veil  and  covered  herself.     And  °the  ser- 


1  SV  that.      •  Sam.  Gr.  through  the  desert  of;  Vg.  the  -way  that  leads  to.      3  Gr. 
chat;  Syr.  walk;  Tar.  pray.      «  Sam.  the  camels.       *  SV  alighted  from. 

gates.  In  Hebrew  the  singular  is  often  used  for  the  plural  when,  as 
in  this  case,  it  is  followed  by  a  dependent  plural;  but  it  is  not  good 
English. 

62.  At  this  point,  perhaps,  there  was  originally  a  notice  of  the 
death  of  Abraham.    This  event,  which,  according  to  the  Judean  nar- 
rative, seems  to  have  happened  during  the  absence  of  the  steward, 
would  account  for  the  movements  of  Isaac.    The  text  says  that  he 
came  (lit.)  from  the  coming  of  Beer-lahai-roi;  but  the  Samaritans  have 
through  the  desert  of  Beer-lahai-roi.     So  also  the  Greek  Version.     Per- 
haps the  original  reading  was  from  the  desert  of  Beer-lahai-roi.     At 
any  rate,  he  seems  to  have  been  moving  northward  along  the  route 
by  which  the  steward  was  returning.     The  land  of  the  South;   where 
Beer-lahai-roi  was  situated.     See  16  :  14. 

63.  Isaac  went  out;  from  his  camp.     To  meditate.    The  rendering 
is  doubtful;   but  it  or  complain  is  the  only  one  that  has  any  support 
in  Hebrew.     See  the  various  readings.    The  latter  would  harmonize 
with  the  supposition  that  Abraham  had  recently  died. 

64.  She  lighted  off  the  camel;    involuntarily  following  the  custom 
that  requires  an  inferior  to  dismount  on  meeting  a  superior. 

65.  It  is  my  master;    as  if  he  had  heard  of  the  death  of  Abraham 
on  the  way.     She  .  .  .  covered  herself;   as  brides  do  to  this  day  in 

K ^alestine  in  the  presence  of  their  future  husbands.     See  29  :  23. 
66.   The  servant  told  Isaac;    reported  to  him  instead  of  Abraham. 
185 


24  :  67  GENESIS 


67.  vant  told  Isaac  all  the  things  that  he  had  done.  And 
Isaac  brought  her  into  °his  *  mother  Sarah's  f  tent,  and 
took  Rebekah,  and  she  became  his  wife;  and  he  loved 
her:  and  °Isaac  was  comforted  after  his  mother's  death. 

25.       And  Abraham  *  took  another  *  wife,  and  her  name 

2.   was  Keturah.     And  she  bare  him  °Zimran,  and  °Jok- 

shan,  *  and  °Medan,f  and  °Midian,  and  °Ishbak,  and 

67.  His  mother  Sarah's  tent.  The  original  reading,  as  the  con- 
struction in  Hebrew  clearly  shows,  was  the  tent,  i.e.,  either  his  own, 
or,  more  probably,  the  bridal  tent,  where  he  would  later  see  her 
face  for  the  first  time.  Isaac  was  comforted,  consoled.  The  casual 
reader  would  naturally  interpret  this  statement  as  a  reference  to 
the  solace  he  found  in  Rebekah,  but  it  may  also  mean  that  about 
this  time  Isaac  finished  the  customary  period  of  mourning  for  some 
one.  See  38  :  12.  The  text  says  it  was  his  mother.  If,  however, 
the  name  of  Sarah,  as  just  shown,  is  an  interpolation,  it  is  more  than 
probable  that  the  original  reading  here  was,  not  his  mother,  but  his 
father.  The  change  was  made  when  the  compiler  inserted  this 
chapter,  without  a  reference  to  Abraham's  death,  between  the  Priestly 
writer's  account  of  the  death  of  Sarah  in  chapter  23  and  his  notice  of 
the  death  of  her  husband  in  25  :  7  ff.;  although,  according  to  25  :  20, 
Sarah  had  been  dead  three  years  when  Isaac  was  married. 

(b)  The  children  of  Keturah,  25  :  1-6.  Abraham  takes  a  third 
wife,  and  by  her  becomes  the  head  of  another  family  of  sons  and  grand- 
sons, for  whom,  as  well  as  Isaac,  he  provides  before  his  death.  The 
first  four  verses  seem  to  have  come  from  the  Judean  narrative,  and,  in- 
deed, from  the  same  part  of  it  as  16  :  1-14.  If  they  followed  the  story 
of  Hagar,  it  is  possible  that  Keturah  was  originally  the  wife,  not  of 
Abraham,  but  of  Ishmael,  in  other  words,  that  these  verses  are  the 
Judean  parallel  to  vs.  12-16. 

1.  Abraham  took  another  wife;    i.e.,  according  to  the  compiler, 
after  the  death  of  Sarah,  but,  according  to  the  original  author,  on  the 
supposition  that  his  name  should  be  retained,   after   the   flight   of 
Hagar. 

2.  Zimran,  in  the  Greek  Version  Zebran,  Zembran,  or  Zembram, 
is  supposed  to  be  the  important  place  west  of  Mecca,  mentioned  by 
Ptolemy  (vi.  7,  5)  under  the  name  Zabram.     Jokshan  is  best  explained 
as  another  form  of  the  name  of  Joktan,  according  to  10  :  26  ff.  the 
father  of  the  Arabs.     See  v.  3.     Medan  is  probably,  as  Bacon  suggests. 
only  a  variant  for  Midian.      See  37  :  36,  margin.     Midian  is  a  name 
familiar  to  readers  of  the  Old  Testament.    The  Midianites  had  their 
original  seat  in  northern  Arabia,  east  of  the  Gulf  of  Akaba;  but  in  the 

186 


GENESIS  25  : 4 


3.  °Shuah.     And   Jokshan   begat   ''Sheba1  and  °Dedan. 
*  And  the  sons  of  Dedan  were  2  °Asshurim,  and  °Letu- 

4.  shim,   and   °Leummim.t     And   the  sons   of   Midian; 
°Ephah,  and  °Epher,  and  Hanoch,  and  °Abida,  and 
°Eldaah.    All  these  were  °the  children  of  Keturah.*  | 

1  Gr.  adds,  and  Tcman.      *  Gr.  adds,  Ragucl,  and  Nabded. 


time  of  Moses  they  had  spread  westward  (Ex.  2  :  15),  and  later  north- 
ward into  the  country  east  of  the  Jordan  (Num.  22  :  4;  etc.).  From 
the  latter  quarter  they  more  than  once  invaded  Palestine.  See  Jud. 
6  :  i  ff.;  Gen.  37  :  28.  Ishbak  is  identified  by  Fried.  Delitzsch 
with  the  Jasbuki,  a  tribe  mentioned  by  Shalmaneser  II.  as  operating 
against  him  in  northern  Syria.  See  Enc.  Bib.  Shuah  probably 
represents  the  Suhu  of  the  Assyrian  inscriptions,  the  country  along 
the  Euphrates  from  the  mouth  of  the  Belik  southward,  whence  came 
Bildad  the  Shuhite,  one  of  Job's  friends.  See  Jb.  2  :  n. 

3.  Sheba;  in  10  :  28  a  son  of  Joktan.     Dedan,  in  10  :  7,  like  Sheba, 
a  son  of  Cush.    The  names  of  the  three  "  sons  "  of  Dedan  are  plural, 
and  therefore  plainly  peoples.    The  Asshurim,  or  Asshurites,  are  not 
the  Assyrians,  but  naturally  a  tribe  or  people  in  or  near  northern 
Arabia.     It  is  their  country  to  which,  according  to  Gunkel  and  others, 
reference  is  made  in  v.  18;   q.v.    The  Letushim,  or  Letushites,  have 
not  been  identified.    The  tribal  name,  Leummim,  or  its  equivalent, 
has  been  found  in  Sabean  inscriptions.    The  difference  in  form  in 
these  names  suggests  a  doubt  about  their  genuineness,  and  this  doubt 
is  confirmed  by  the  facts,  that  they  are  wanting  in  i  Chr.  i  :  32  f. 
and  that  the  omission  of  them  from  this  passage  reduces  the  number 
of  the  children  of  Keturah  to  twelve.     See  vs.   13  ff.;    22  :  21  ff. 
Naturally  the  additional  names  found  in  the  Greek  Version  must  also 
be  rejected. 

4.  Ephah,  found  also  in  Is.  60  :  6,  has  plausibly  been  identified 
with  the  Haiapi,  a  northern  Arabian  tribe  a  remnant  of  which  was 
deported  into  northern  Palestine  after  the  destruction  of  the  kingdom 
of  Israel.     In  an  inscription  by  Tiglath-pileser  III.  they  are  mentioned 
with  Sheba  and  Dedan.     Epher  is  with  some  probability  identified 
with  Of r,  and  Hanoch  with  Hanakiya,  both  a  little  north  of  Medina. 
The  last  three  names  are  also  found  as  designations  for  persons  among 
the  Hebrews.     See  i  Chr.  2  :  46;    4:17;    5  :  24;   Gen.  46  :  9.    The 
name  Abida  has  been  found  in  a  Sabean  inscription,  but  the  place  or 
region  so  designated  has  not  been  located.     Eldaah  also  is  unknown. 
The  children  of  Keturah;  originally,  perhaps,  the  children  o/Ishmael, 
followed  by  i8a. 

187 


25  :  5  GENESIS 


R  5,6.  And  Abraham  gave  °all  that  he  had  unto  Isaac.1  But 
unto  the  sons  of  °the  concubines 2  3  which  Abraham  had,3 
Abraham  gave  gifts ;  and  he  sent  them  away  from  Isaac 
his  son,  while  he  yet  lived,  eastward,  unto  °the  east 
country. 

P  7.  And  these  are  the  4  days  of  the  years  4  of  Abraham's 
life  which  he  lived,  °an  hundred  threescore  and  fifteen 

8.  years.     And  Abraham  gave  up  the  ghost,  and  died  in  a 
good  old  age,  an  old  man,  and  °full 5  of  years 5;  and  was 

9.  °gathered  to  his  people.     And  °Isaac  and  Ishmael  his 
sons  buried  him  in  the  6  cave  of  Machpelah,8  in  the  field 
of  Ephron  the  son  of  Zohar  the  Hittite,  which  is  before 

10.   Mamre:   7the  field  7  which  Abraham  purchased  of  the 
children  of  Heth:    there  was  Abraham  buried,   and 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  add,  his  son.  *  Syr.  sing.  3  SV  that  A braham  had;  Gr.  Vg.  om. ; 
Syr.  of  Abraham.  *  Gr.  years  of  the  days;  Vg.  days.  s  Gr.  Vg.  Tar.  of  days;  Syr. 
of  his  days.  6  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  double  cave.  »  Gr.  the  field  and  the  cave;  Vg.  om. 

5.  This  verse  is  by  some  supposed  to  belong  to  chapter  24,  perhaps 
in  v.  i;   but  it  may  simply  have  been  suggested  by  24  :  36.     All  that 
he  had;   rather,  the  bulk  of  his  possessions.     See  v.  6. 

6.  The  concubines.    The  Syriac  Version  has  the  singular,  and, 
since  Keturah  only  is  mentioned  in  this  connection,  that  may  well  be 
the  original  reading.     The  east  country;    the  Syro-Arabian  desert. 
See  Jud.  6:3. 

(c)  The  death  of  Abraham,  25  :  7-11.  Abraham  dies  at  the  age 
of  a  hundred  and  seventy-five  and  is  buried  by  his  sons  Isaac  and 
Ishmael  in  the  cave  of  Machpelah;  after  which  Isaac  returns  to  the 
South.  The  paragraph,  with  the  exception  of  the  last  sentence,  is 
from  the  Priestly  source. 

7.  An  hundred  threescore  and  fifteen  years.     According   to   this 
author,  therefore,  Abraham  did  not  die  before  the  marriage  of  Isaac, 
but  lived  until  Esau  and  Jacob  were  fifteen  years  old.     See  vs.  20,  26. 

8.  Full  of  years.    The  word  supplied  should  have  been  days,  as  in 
35  :  29.     See  also  the  versions.     On  the  expression  gathered  to  his 
people,  see  15  :  15. 

9.  Isaac  and  Ishmael.    The  writer  makes  no  reference  to  the  sons 
of  Keturah,  but,  ignoring  the  story  of  the  expulsion  of  Hagar,  he  rep- 
resents Ishrnael  as  on  the  best  of  terras  with  his  father's  family. 

188 


GENESIS  25  : 14 


11.  Sarah  his  wife.     And  it  came  to  pass  after  the  death  of 
Abraham,  that  God  blessed  Isaac  his  son;  |  and  °Isaac  J 
dwelt  by  Beer-lahai-roi. 

12.  Now  these  are  the  generations  of  Ishmael,  Abraham's  P 
son,  whom  Hagar  the  Egyptian,   Sarah's  handmaid, 

23.  bare  unto  Abraham:  and  these  are  the  names  of  °the 
sons  of  Ishmael,  by  their  names,  according  to  their 1 
generations:  the  firstborn  of  Ishmael,  Nebaioth:  and 

14.    Kedar,  and  °Adbeel,  and  °Mibsam,  and  °Mishma,  and 

1  Gr.  the  name  of  his. 

ii.  Isaac  dwelt  by  Beer-lahai-roi.  This  statement  is  from  the 
Judean  narrative  and  belongs  at  the  end  of  chapter  24.  According 
to  the  Priestly  author  of  the  rest  of  this  paragraph  his  home,  like 
Abraham's,  was  at  Hebron.  See  35  :  27. 

(6)    The  children  of  Ishmael,  25  :  12-18 

The  names  of  his  sons  are  given;  also  his  age  at  his  death  and  the 
limits  of  the  territory  occupied  by  his  descendants.  Here,  again,  it 
is  the  Priestly  narrative  that  is  the  source,  except  of  the  last  verse. 

13.  The  sons  of  Ishmael.    This  writer  does  not  mention  Ishmael's 
wife.     According  to  21  :  21  (E)  she  was  an  Egyptian,  like  his  mother. 
Nebaioth  probably  represents  the  Nabaitu,  a  more  distant  region  to 
which  Uaite  king  of  (northern)  Arabia  fled  when  overthrown  by  the 
Assyrian  king  Assurbanipal.     Whether  they  are  also  identical  with 
the  Nabatheans,  as  Schrader  and  others  maintain,  is  disputed.     In 
the  same  inscription  there  is  frequent  mention  of  Kedar  (Kidru), 
whose  people  were  the  most  active  and  powerful  allies  of  the  Arabians. 
They  were  "  the  mighty  men  "  of  the  coalition.     See  Is.  21  :  16  ff. 
In  Is.  60  :  7  they  are  associated  with  Nebaioth,  and  in  Ezek.  27  :  21 
with  Arabia.     Jer.    2  :  10   locates  them  on  the  eastern   border  of 
Palestine.     Adbeel  is  identified  with  Idibi>il,  the  name  of  a  tribe  that 
Tiglath-pileser  III.  says  he  made  an  outpost  against  Egypt.     Mibsam 
has  not  been  identified. 

14.  Mishma,  also,  is  unknown,  but  there  may  be  significance  in  the 
fact  that  this  name  and  Mibsam  are  found  in  i  Chr.  4  :  25  as  those 
of  a  father  and  son  of  the  tribe  of  Simeon,  a  tribe,  it  will  be  remembered, 
which  was  assigned  to  southern  Palestine,  but  early  lost  its  indepen- 
dent existence.     Duma  is  a  common  Arabian  name.     The  one  here 
meant  is  identified  with  Dumath  el- Jandal,  near  the  edge  of  the  Syrian 

189 


25  :  IS  GENESIS 


15.  °Duma,  and  °Massa;    °Hadad,1  and  °Tema,2  °Jetur,3 

16.  °Naphish,  and  °Kedemah:    these  are  the  sons  of  Ish- 
mael,  and  these  are  their  names,  by  their  °villages,  and 
by  their  °encampments ;    twelve  princes  according  to 

17.  their  nations.     And  these  are  the  years  of'  the  life  of 
Ishmael,  an  hundred  and  thirty  and  seven  years:   and 
he  gave  up  the  ghost  and  died ;  and  was  gathered  unto 

J  18.  his  people.  |  And  they  dwelt 4  from  °Havilah  unto 
°Shur 5  that  is  before  Egypt,  °*  as  thou  goest  toward 

R  Assyria  f :  |  he  abode  8  in  the  presence  of  8  all  his  breth- 
ren. 


1  Gr.  and  Hadad;  Vg.  Hadar;  Syr.  and  Hadar.  '  Gr.  Teman.  a  Gr.  Vg.  and 
Jetur;  Syr.  and  Nelur.  4  m.  settled.  s  Tar.  Hagra.  6  m.  over  against. 

desert.     Massa;   the  Mas'ai  of  the  Assyrian  inscriptions,  in  the  same 
region. 

15.  Hadad,  which  should  he  written  Chadad,  and  thus  distinguished 
from  the  one  in  36  :  25  f.,  is  unknown.     Tema,  which  is  also  frequently 
mentioned  in  Assyrian  inscriptions,  is  the  ancient  name  of  modern 
Teima,  in  northwestern  Arabia.     Jetur  and  Naphish  appear  together 
in  i  Chr.  5  :  19  among  the  enemies  that  the  Hebrews  east  of   the 
Jordan  had  to  subdue.     Jetur  probably  represents  the  Itureans,  who, 
about  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era,  had  pushed  northward  as 
far  as  the  Lebanon,  but  had  doubtless  previously  occupied  territory 
farther   south   and   east.    They,    like   the   Kedarenes,   were   expert 
archers.     Naphish  is  unknown,  also  Kedemah,     For  the  latter  i  Chr. 
5  :  19  has  Nodab. 

16.  The  Ishmaelites  were  nomads.    Their  villages,  therefore,  were 
clusters  of  tents,  and  their  encampments  the  enclosures  within  which 
their  tents  were  pitched. 

18.  Havilah;  on  the  east.  See  2:11;  10  :  29.  Shur;  on  the 
border  of  Egypt.  See  16  :  7.  As  thou  goest  toward  Assyria  is  per- 
plexing. There  are  those,  as  already  observed,  who  interpret  Asshur 
here  as  the  name  of  the  region  occupied  by  the  Asshurim  of  v.  3.  It 
is  better,  however,  if  possible,  to  give  the  word  its  usual  signification; 
and  this  can  be  done  by  explaining  the  whole  phrase  as  a  marginal 
gloss  that  has  gotten  into  the  text  at  the  wrong  place.  Insert  it  where 
it  belongs,  and  the  result  is,  from  Havilah,  as  thou  goest  toward  As- 
syria, unto  Shur,  that  -is  before  Egypt.  The  first  half  of  the  verse,  with 
the  exception  of  this  clause,  seems  to  have  belonged  originally  with 

190 


GENESIS  25:21 


2.   Isaac  and  his  Family,  25  :  19-37  •'  i 

19.  And  these  are  the  generations  of  Isaac,  Abraham's  p 

20.  son  :  Abraham  begat  Isaac :  and  Isaac  was  °forty  years 
old  when  he  took  Rebekah,  the  daughter  of  Bethuel 
°the  Syrian  1  of  °Paddan-aram,  the  sister  of  Laban  the 

21.  Syrian,  to  be  his  wife.  |  And  Isaac  intreated  the  LORD  J 

1  m.  Aramean. 

vs.  1-4,  to  the  conclusion  of  the  story  of  Hagar  in  chapter  16;    the 
rest  is  a  reminiscence  of  16  :  12. 

The  appearance  of  i8a  in  this  connection  is  interesting  and  sig- 
nificant. It  means  that  the  territory  assigned  to  the  sons  of  Ishmael 
is  practically  the  same  as  that  which,  according  to  vs.  1-4,  was  occupied 
by  the  children  of  Keturah.  Here  is  an  evident  discrepancy,  but 
it  loses  its  seriousness  when  one  remembers  that  the  two  passages  are 
by  different  authors,  and  that  they  do  not  describe  conditions  in  the 
given  territory  at  the  same  time  but  at  widely  separated  periods. 

In  the  history  of  Abraham  the  father  is  dominant  from  the  begin- 
ning to  the  end.  In  that  of  Isaac  the  patriarch  himself,  after  the  first 
three  or  four  chapters,  retires  into  the  background  and  the  sons, 
especially  Jacob,  take  his  place.  From  the  first  they  are  represented 
as  very  diverse  in  character,  as  well  as  appearance,  and  antagonistic 
in  their  interests.  Thus  in  the  first  subdivision,  which  may  be 
entitled 

(i)    The  coveted  birthright,  25  :  19-34 

the  contrast  between  Jacob  and  Esau  is  clearly  outlined.     It  ap- 
pears at 

(a)  The  birth  of  the  twins,  25  :  19-26.  Isaac,  finding  that  his 
wife  is  barren,  entreats  Yahweh  to  grant  her  offspring.  In  due  time 
Rebekah  finds  herself  with  child,  and,  on  inquiring  of  Yahweh,  learns 
that  she  is  to  bear  twins.  When  the  children  are  born  there  is  a 
marked  difference  between  them,  and  the  younger  gives  promise  of 
mastery.  The  paragraph  is  mainly  from  the  Judean  narrative,  but 
it  begins  and  ends  with  a  brief  extract  from  the  Priestly  source. 

20.  Forty  years  old.  According  to  J  he  must  have  been  much 
younger.  See  26  :  8.  The  Syrian.  Better,  with  the  margin,  Ara- 
mean. The  author  (P)  does  not  recognize  so  close  a  relationship 
between  Isaac  and  his  wife  as  the  other  authorities.  Paddan-aram; 
the  name  by  which  the  Priestly  writer  regularly  designates  Rebek- 
ah's  native  country.  See  28  :  2  ff. 

191 


25  :  22  GENESIS 

for  his  wife,  because  °she  was  barren :  and  *  the  LORD  1 
was  intreated  of  him,  and  Rebekah  his  wife  conceived. 

22.  And  °the  children  struggled  together  within  her;   and 
she  said,  °If  it  be  so,  wherefore  do  I  live?     And  °she 

23.  went  to  inquire  of  the  LORD.     And   the   LORD   said 
unto  her, 

°Two  nations  are  in  thy  womb, 

And  °two  peoples  shall  be  separated  even 2  °from  thy 

bowels : 
And  the  one  people  shall  be  stronger  than  the  other 

people; 
And  °the  elder  shall  serve  the  younger. 

24.  And  when  her  days  to  be  delivered  were  fulfilled,  be- 

25.  hold,  there  were  twins  in  her  womb.     And  the  first 
came  forth  °red,*  °all  over  like  an  hairy  garment ;  and 

'  Gr.  God.      •  SV  Heb.  om. 

21.  She  was  barren.    There  is  nothing  to  indicate  how  long  she 
had  been  barren.     According  to  v.  26  (P)  it  was  twenty  years. 

22.  The  children  struggled  together.     See  the  story  of  Akriseos 
and  Proilos.     If  it  be  so;   if  this  is  an  indication  of  the  character  of  my 
child.     See  27  :  46.     She  went  to  inquire  of  the  Lord;   to  the  altar  at 
Beersheba;    for,  as  will  be  shown,  chapter  26  originally  preceded  this 
passage,  and  in  that  chapter  Isaac  removes  to  Beersheba.     See  26  : 
25,  33.     According  to  26  :  24  Yahweh  has  already  appeared  to  Isaac 
at  that  place  and  promised  him  an  abundant  posterity. 

23.  Two  nations;    Edom  and  Israel.    These  two  peoples  shall  be 
separated;    be  hostile  the  one  to  the  other,     From  thy  bowels;    from 
the  beginning,  in  the  persons  of  the  children  shortly  to  be  born.     The 
elder  shall  serve  the  younger  is  an  unexpected  and,  especially  to  the 
oriental,  an  unnatural,  application  of  the  thought  of  the  preceding 
line.     See  29  :  26;    48  :  17. 

25.  Red;  Heb.,  >adhmom.  A  play  upon  the  name  Edom  is  evi- 
dently intended;  but,  since  the  name  itself  is  not  used,  it  is  probably 
the  second  thought  of  a  reader.  The  original  description  is  found  in 
all  over  like  a  hairy  garment,  the  word  for  hair,  se'ar,  being  a  play, 
not  only  upon  Esau,  with  which  it  has  two  consonants  in  common,  but 
upon  Se'ir,  another  name  for  Edom. 

192 


GENESIS  25  :  30 


26.  they  called  his  name  Esau.     And  after  that  came  forth 
his  brother,  and  °his  hand  had  hold  on  Esau's  heel ;  and 
his  name  was  called  °Jacob:  |  and  Isaac  was  three- 
score years  old  when  she  J  bare  them. 

27.  And  the  boys  grew:    and  Esau  was  °a  cunning2 
hunter,  °a  man  of  the  field ;  and  Jacob  was  °a  plain 3 

28.  man,  °dwelling  in  tents.     Now  Isaac  loved  Esau,  be- 
cause he  did  eat  of  his  4  venison :   and  Rebekah  loved 

29.  Jacob.    And  °Jacob  sod5  pottage:   and  Esau  came  in 

30.  from  the  field,  and  he  was  faint:    and  Esau  said  to. 
Jacob,  °Feed  me,  I  pray  thee,  with  °that  same  red 

1  Gr.  Rebekah.  •  SV  skilful.  3  m.  quiet  or  harmless;  SV  quiet.  *  So  Sam. 
Gr.;  Hcb.  om.  s  SV  boiled. 

26.  In  like  manner,  says  the  author,  the  second  child  received  the 
name   Jacob   (Heb.     Ya'kaobh),   which    he   interprets   as    meaning 
Supplanter,  because  his  hand  had  hold  on  Esau's  heel  (a'kebh).    The 
original  form  of  this  name,  as  appears  from  the  Egyptian  and  Assyrian 
inscriptions,   was    Yaa'kobh-el.     Its   meaning,   therefore,  must   have 
been  he  (God)  restraineth,  or  something  similar.    The  Priestly  writer 
also  had  an  account  of   the   birth   of   the   twins,  but  it  has  been 
omitted  with  the  exception  of  the  statement  that   Isaac  was  now 
threescore  years  old.    The  natural  inference  is  that  Rebekah  also 
was  well  advanced  in  years. 

(b)  The  transfer  of  the  birthright,  25  :  27-34.  Esau,  returning 
hungry  from  the  field,  finds  Jacob  preparing  a  dish  of  lentils  and  asks 
for  some  of  them;  but  Jacob  denies  him  until  Esau  recklessly  consents 
to  exchange  his  birthright  for  a  dinner.  The  source  of  the  story  is 
the  Judean  narrative. 

27.  When  Esau  and  Jacob  were  grown  they  differed  as  much  in 
their  tastes  and  pursuits  as  in  their  appearance.     A  cunning  hunter. 
In  this  respect  he  differed  from  most  Hebrews,  who  seem  not  to  have 
been  very  fond  of  the  chase.     A  man  of  the  field;   one  who  loved  the 
open  country  and  spent  much  of  his  time  afield.     A  plain  man:    lit., 
a  complete  man,  a  model  among  those  dwelling  in  tents. 

29.  Jacob  sod,  better,  with  SV,  boiled,  pottage.     It  consisted,  as  ap- 
pears from  v.  34,  of  lentils,  perhaps  with  the  addition  of  a  little  meat. 

30.  Feed  me  hardly  does  justice  to  the  original.    The  verb  used  is 
one  that  is  employed  in  later  Hebrew  of  forcing  food  upon  animals. 
Stuff  me,  or  Let  me  gorge  myself,  therefore,  would  be  a  more  nearly 
correct,  if   not  so   elegant,  rendering.     That  same  red  pottage.    The 

0  193 


31  GENESIS 


pottage;  for  I  am  faint:  therefore  was  his  name  called 

31.  Edom.     And  Jacob  said,  °Sell  me  this  day  thy  birth- 

32.  right.     And  Esau  said,1  Behold,  °I  am  2  at  the  point2 
to  die :  and  °what  profit  shall  the  3  birthright  do  to  me  ? 

33.  And  Jacob  said,  Swear  to  me  °4  this  day4;    and  he 
sware  unto  him :  and  he  5  sold  his  birthright  unto  Jacob. 

34.  And  Jacob  gave  Esau  6  bread  and  pottage  of  lentils ; 
and  he  did  eat  and  drink,  and  rose  up,  and  went  his 
way :   °so  Esau  despised  his  birthright. 


1  Syr.  adds,  to  himself.  •  SV  about.  3  Gr.  this.  *  m.  first  of  all;  SV  first. 
s  Gr.  Esau.  6  Syr.  adds,  to  eat. 

translators  have  put  the  word  pottage  in  italics  because  they  did  not 
find  it  in  the  original,  which  reads,  literally,  this  red  red  (>adhom).  The 
first  of  the  words  rendered  red,  however,  is  probably  an  error  for  a  very 
similar  one,  >edhont,  meaning  pottage,  the  original  reading  being  this 
red  pottage.  Therefore,  because  he  used  this  word,  instead  of  the  one 
employed  in  v.  29,  was  his  name  called  Edom. 

31.  Sell  me  this  day  thy  birthright.    The  proposal  is  not  greatly  to 
Jacob's  credit,  but  it  reveals  some  knowledge  of  values  and  a  will- 
ingness to  sacrifice  the  lower  for  the  higher. 

32.  I  am  at  the  point  to  die,  on  the  other  hand,  is  the  complaint 
of  a  man  to  whom  life  means  the  gratification  of  his  appetites.     A 
good  meal  he  could  appreciate,  but  a  birthright  —  What  profit,  he 
asks,  shall  the  birthright  do  to  me?  or  better,  Of  what  use  is  a  birth- 
right to  me?     See  v.  34. 

33.  This  question  denotes  a  willingness  to  renounce  the  birthright. 
Jacob,  however,  is  not  satisfied  with  a  careless  acquiescence.     He 
demands  that  the  bargain  be  sealed  with  an  oath  this  day,  now;   and 
he  sware  unto  him. 

34.  So  Esau  despised  his  birthright;   treated  with  contempt  all  that 
it  signified.     See  v.  32. 

(2)    The  patriarch  and  his  neighbors,  26  :  1-33 

Under  this  head  belong  two  incidents. 

(a)  Rebekah  in  danger,  26  :  i-n.  Isaac,  having  been  driven  by 
a  famine  to  Gerar  and  instructed  to  remain  there,  attempts  to  protect 
himself  by  representing  Rebekah  as  his  sister;  but  Abimelech  dis- 
covers the  truth  and  calls  Isaac  to  account  for  his  conduct.  Isaac 
confesses  his  weakness  and  Abimelech  warns  the  people  not  to 

194 


GENESIS  26  : 5 


26.  And  there  was  a  famine  °in  the  land,  |  °beside  the  J, 
first  famine  that  was  in  the  days  of  Abraham.  |  And  J 
°Isaac  went  unto  Abimelech  °king  of  the  Philistines  unto 

2.  Gerar.1    And  the  LORD  appeared  unto  him,  and  said,  | 
°Go  not  down  into  Egypt ;   dwell  in  °the  land  which  I   R 

3.  shall  tell  thee  of:  |  sojourn  in  this  land,  and  I  will  be  J 
with  thee,  and  will  bless  thee ;  |  for  unto  thee,  and  unto  R 
thy  seed,  I  will  give  °all 2  these  lands,2  and  I  will  estab- 
lish the  3  oath  which  I  sware  unto  Abraham  thy  father ; 

4.  and  I  will  multiply  thy  seed  °as  the  stars  of  heaven,  and 
will  give  unto  thy  seed  all  2  these  lands 2 ;   and  in  thy 
seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  °4  be  blessed 4 ; 

5.  because  that  °Abraham 5  obeyed  my  voice,  and  °kept 


1  Syr.  Godor.      *  Gr.  this  land.      3  Gr.  my.      4  m.  bless  themselves.       *  Sam.  Gr. 
add,  thy  father. 


disturb  him  or  Rebekah.    The  story  is  an  extract  from  the  Judean 
narrative,  with  editorial  additions. 

1.  In   the  land;     the   desert   about   Beer-lahai-roi.     See   25  :  n. 
Beside  the  first  famine,  etc.,  is  an  editorial  reminder  inserted  here 
when  12  :  10  ff.,  another  version  of  the  story,  was  added  to  the  Judean 
narrative.     See   12  :  i.     Isaac  went  unto  Abimelech.    There  is  no 
reason  to  doubt  that  the  person  here  meant  is  the  same  as  the  Abime- 
lech of  chapter  20.    True,  he  is  here  called  king  of  the  Philistines  in- 
stead of  "  king  of  Gerar,"  but  the  addition  of  unto  Gerar  makes  the 
two  titles  one.     See  also  v.  26,  where  the  captain  of  his  host  is  still 
the  Phicol  of  21  :  22. 

2.  Go  not  down  into  Egypt;    as  Abraham  did;    another  editorial 
reference  to  12  :  10.     The  land  which  I  shall  tell  thee  of  implies  that 
Isaac  has  not  yet  reached  a  safe  refuge      Compare  3a. 

3.  The  latter  part  of  this  verse  and  the  next  two  are  an  expansion 
of  the  promised  blessing.     See   13  :  14-17;     22  :  15-18.     All  these 
lands;  an  enlargement  of  the  original  promise.     See  v.  4 ;  compare 
12  :  7. 

4.  As  the  stars  of  heaven.     See  22  :  18.     Be  blessed.     Better,  as 
in  the  margin,  bless  themselves. 

5.  Abraham  obeyed  my  voice.    To  the  simple  name  the  Samaritans 
and  the  Greek  Version  add  thy  father.     For  obeyed  a  more  exact  ren- 
dering would  be  hearkened.     Kept  my  charge,  etc.    The  type  of  piety 

195 


26  :  6  GENESIS 


my  charge,  my  commandments,  my  statutes,  and  my 
6, 7  laws.  |  And  °Isaac  dwelt  in  Gerar  * :  and  °the  men  of 
the  place  asked  him  of  2  his  wife 2 ;  and  he  said,  She  is  my 
sister :  for  he  feared  to  say,  °3  My  wife  3 ;  lest,  said  he, 
the  men  of  the  place  should  kill  me  for  Rebekah :  be- 

8.  cause  she  was  fair  to  look  upon.     And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  he  had  been  there  a  long  time,  that  Abimelech 
king  of  the  Philistines  looked  out  at  a  window,  and  saw, 
and,  behold,  Isaac  was  °sporting  with  Rebekah  his  wife. 

9.  And  Abimelech  called  Isaac,  and  said,  Behold,  of  a 
surety  she  is  thy  wife :   °and  how  saidst  thou,  She  is  my 
sister?    And  Isaac  said  unto  him,  Because  °I  said,  Lest 

10.   I  die  for 4  her.     And  Abimelech  said,  °What  is  this  thou 


1  Syr.  Godor.      *  Gr.  Rebekah  his  wife.      3  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  She  is  my  wife.      *  SV 
because  of. 


here  attributed  to  Abraham  is  the  Deuteronomic,  and  inconsistent, 
not  only  with  the  teaching  of  J,  but  with  the  period  to  which 
the  patriarch  belongs.  See  Dt.  u  :  i;  comp.  Gen.  15  :  6;  Rom. 

4:3  ff- 

6.  Isaac  dwelt  in  Gerar;   the  continuation  of  3a. 

7.  The  men  of  the  place  asked  him  of  his  wife.    The  inference  is 
that  they  were  attracted  by  her  beauty.     See  v.  7.     Yet,  according  to 
the  preceding  chapter,  she  was  the  mother  of  grown  sons  who  were  not 
born  until  twenty  years  after  she  was  married.     The  difficulty  is  re- 
moved by  inserting  this  whole  chapter  where  it  undoubtedly  belongs, 
viz.,  before  25  :  21.     It  will  then  be  possible  to  think  of  Rebekah  as 
a  young  woman  and  possessed  of  all  the  attractions  that  appeal  to 
oriental  taste.     My  wife;   more  fully  and  correctly,  with  the  Samari- 
tans, She  is  my  wife. 

8.  On  the  supposition  that  Rekekah  was  a  young  woman  it  ceases 
to  be    ridiculous    that    Isaac    should    be   sporting   with,    fondling, 
Rebekah. 

9.  And  how  saidst  thou?     Better,  How,  then,  saidst  thou?     Abime- 
lech is  here  the  same  dignified  and  honorable  character  as  in  chapter 
20.     I  said;    here,  as  often  in  the  Old  Testament,  in  the  sense  of  7 
thought.     See  20  :  n. 

10.  What  is  this  thou  hast  done  unto  us  ?    The  question  is  the  same 
that  is  attributed  to  Abimelech  in  20  :  9.     Here,  however,  it  harmo- 

196 


GENESIS  26  :  14 


hast  done  unto  us?    one  of  the  people  might  lightly1 
have  lien2  with  thy  wife,  and  °thou  shouldest3  have 

11.  brought  guiltiness  upon  us.     And  °Abimelech  charged 
all  the4  people,  saying,  He  that  toucheth  this  man  or 
his  wife  shall  surely  be  put  to  death. 

12.  And  °Isaac  sowed  in  that  land,  and  found  in  the  same 
year  °an  hundredfold 5 :    °and  the  LORD  blessed  him. 

13.  And  the  man  waxed  great,  and  grew  more  and  more 

14.  until  he  became  very  great :  and  he  had  possessions  of 

'  SV  easily.  *  SV  lain.  s  SV  wovldest.  «  Sam.  Gr.  his.  *  Gr.  Syr.  add,  of 
barley. 

nizes  with  the  words  that  follow.  Thou  shouldest  (SV  ivouldest}  have 
brought  guiltiness  upon  us;  and  one  of  those  calamities  by  which  God 
was  supposed  to  punish  peoples  for  the  sins  of  any  of  their  number. 
See  Josh.  7  :  2  ff. 

11.  Abimelech  charged  all    the  (Sam.  his)  people.     He  had  no 
occasion  to  feel  that  he  owed  Isaac  or  his  wife  anything,  but  he  mag- 
nanimously granted  them  his  protection. 

The  identity  of  the  Abimelech  of  this  story  and  the  one  in  chapter 
20  must  be  admitted.  If,  however,  they  are  one  person,  it  would  ap- 
pear that  this  wise  king  was  twice  deceived,  first  by  Abraham,  and 
then  by  his  son,  and  in  precisely  the  same  manner.  This,  of  course,  is 
possible,  but  it  is  no  more  probable  than  that  Abraham  should  him- 
self have  twice  tried  the  same  device  in  vain.  Here,  then,  must  be  a 
third  version  of  the  story  already  twice  told,  and,  indeed,  since  it  is 
from  the  Judean  narrative,  the  oldest  of  the  three. 

(b)  Strife  with  the  Gerarites,  26  :  12-33.  Isaac  remains  among 
the  Philistines  and  prospers  to  such  a  degree  that  they  become  envious 
of  him  and  ask  him  to  leave  them.  They  even  dispute  his  rights  in 
the  open  pasture  and  appropriate  two  of  his  wells;  but  finally  they 
cease  to  trouble  him,  and,  when  he  has  fixed  his  camp  at  Beer-sheba, 
Abimelech  comes  to  him  proposing  a  covenant,  which  is  duly  made. 
This  passage  bears  the  same  relation  to  20  :  22  ff.  that  vs.  i-n  do 
to  chapter  20,  i.e.,  it  is  the  older  Judean  version,  with  some  editorial 
additions  to  adapt  it  to  its  present  setting. 

12.  Isaac  sowed  in  that  land;   combined  tillage  of  the  soil  with  the 
calling  of  the  shepherd,  as  do  some  of  the  nomads  of  to-day.     An 
hundredfold.    The  yield,  even  of  barley,  which,  according  to  the  Greek 
and  Syriac  Versions,  is  the  grain  that  Isaac  sowed,  is  now  much 
smaller.     And  the  Lord  blessed  him  should  be  connected  with  v.  13. 

197 


26  :  15  GENESIS 

flocks,  and  possessions  of  herds,  and  °a  great  house- 
is.   15.   hold1:   and  the  Philistines  envied  him.  |  Now  all  the 
wells  which  his  father's  servants  had  digged  in  the  days 
of  Abraham  his  father,  °the  Philistines  had  stopped 
J   1 6.   them,  2  and  filled  them 2  with  earth.  |  And  Abimelech 
said  unto  Isaac,  °Go  from  us;   for  °thou  art  much 
17.   mightier  than  we.    And  °Isaac  departed  thence,  and 
encamped  in  °the  valley  of  Gerar,3  and  dwelt  there.  | 
R   18.   And  Isaac  digged  again  the  wells  of  water,  which  °they 4 
had  digged  *5in  the  daysf  of  Abraham  his  father5;  for 
the  Philistines  had  stopped  them  after  the  death  of  Abra- 
ham 6:  and  he  called  their  names  after  °the  names  by 
J   19.   which  his  father  had  called  them.  |  And  Isaac's  servants 

1  Gr.  tillage.       *  SV  om.       3  Syr.   Coder.       *  Gr.   (he  servants  of  Abraham  his 
father;   Syr.  the  servants  of  his  father.       s  Gr.  om.       6  Gr.  adds,  his  father. 

14.  A  great  household;  here,  as  in  Jb.  i  :  3,  a  multitude  of  ser- 
vants. 

15.  This  verse  is  an  editorial  addition  to  explain  why,  although 
Abraham,  according  to  21  :  22  ff.,  sank  wells  at    and  about  Beer- 
sheba,  Isaac  also  had  to  dig  for  water.     It  was  because  the  Philis- 
tines had  stopped  Abraham's  wells.    The  real  explanation,  of  course, 
is  that  there  are  two  accounts,  the  older,  here  given,  according  to 
which   they  were   originally  dug   by   Isaac,  and   the   later  one  in 
21  :  22  ff.,  in  which  Abraham  receives  credit  for  them. 

16.  Go  from  us.     Abimelech  was  forced  by  a  popular  sentiment 
that  he  did  not  share  to  ask  Isaac  to  leave  the  country.     He  man- 
aged the  matter  with  oriental  diplomacy,  giving  a  reason,  thou  art 
much  mightier  than  we,  in  which  the  truth  was  very  generously 
mixed  with  flattery. 

17.  Isaac  departed  thence;    because  he  was  a  peaceable  man  and, 
moreover,  because  the  promise  to  his  father  gave  him  no  claim  upon 
the  region  in  which  he  was  sojourning.     The  valley  of  Gerar;  perhaps 
Wady  Jerur,  or  one  of  those  connected  with  it.     See  10  :  19. 

18.  This  verse  also  is  editorial  and  explanatory.     For  they  had 
digged    in   the  days  of  Abraham  his  father  read,  with  the  Greek 
Version,  the  servants  of  Abraham  his  father  had  digged.     See  v.  15. 
The  names  by  which  his  father  had  called  them.    The  writer  has  in 
mind   the  name   Beer-sheba,  which,  according  to  21  :  3ia  (E),  was 
given  in  the  days  of  Abraham. 

198 


GENESIS  26  : 24 


digged  in  the  °valley  *,  and  found  there  °a  well  of  spring- 

20.  ing  water.     And  the  herdmen  of  Gerar 2  strove  with 
Isaac's  herdmen,  saying,  The  water  is  ours :  and  he  called 
the  name  of  the  well  °Esek;  °because  they  contended 

21.  with  him.     And  °they  3  digged  another  well,  and  °they 
strove  for  that  also :  and  °he  called  the  name  of  it  Sitnah. 

22.  And  °he  removed  from  thence,  and  digged4  another 
well;  and  for  that  they  strove  not:  and  he  called  the 
name  of  it  °Rehoboth ;  and  he  said,  For  now  the  LORD 
hath  made  room  for  us,  and  5  we  shall  be  5  fruitful  in 

23.  the  land.     And  he  went  up  from  thence  to  °Beer-sheba. 

24.  And  the  LORD  appeared  unto  him  °the  same  night,  and 
said,  I  am  the  God  of  Abraham  thy  father:   fear  not, 
for  °I  am  with  thee,  and  will  bless  thee,  and  multiply 

1  Gr.  adds,  of  Gerar.    *  Syr.  Coder.      3  Gr.  he  removed  from  thence  and.      *  Sam. 
they  digged.      *  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  made  us. 

19.  The  omission  of  v.  18  brings  this  one  into  proper  connection 
with  v.  17,  making  clear  what  valley  is  meant  without  the  explanatory 
of  Gerar  found  in  the  Greek  Version.     A  well  of  springing  water; 
a  flowing  spring. 

20.  Esek ;  Contention.     Because  they  contended  (<asak)  with  him. 
The  site  of  this  well  has  not  been  discovered. 

21.  They  digged  another  well;    in  the  same  vicinity.    Therefore 
they  strove  for  that  also.    The  Greek  Version  substitutes  for  this 
clause  the  first  two  of  v.  22,  thus  making  the  Gerarites  pursue  Isaac 
beyond  his  first  camp.     He  called  the  name  of  it  Sitnah  (Hatred), 
but  the  explanation,   because  they  hated  him,   is  omitted.     Palmer 
thinks  this  name  is  preserved  in  that  of  Wady  Shutneh  er-Ruheibeh, 
near  the  ruined  town  of  Ruhaibeh. 

22.  When  he  finally  removed  from  thence  .  .  .  they  strove  not. 
The  name  of  the  third  well,  Rehoboth,  is  supposed  to  have  survived 
in  that  of  the  just  mentioned  Ruheibeh,  about  eighteen  miles  south 
of  west  from  Beersheba. 

23.  The  next  stage  was  Beer-sheba,  which,  however,  according  to 
the  Jahvist,  had  not  yet  received  this  name. 

24.  The  same  night;    the  night  of  his  arrival.     I  ...  will  .  .  . 
multiply  thy  seed.     If  this  whole  chapter  originally  preceded  25  :  21, 
the  promise  here  recorded  must  have  been  made  before  Esau  and 

199 


26  :  25  GENESIS 


25.  thy   seed   for   1  my   servant1   Abraham's   sake.     And 
°he  builded  an  altar  there,  and  called  upon  the  name  of 
the  LORD,  and  pitched  his  tent  there :  and  there  °Isaac's 

26.  servants  digged  a  well.     Then  Abimelech  went  to  him 
•     from  Gerar,2  and  °Ahuzzath 3  his  friend,4  -and  °Phicol 

27.  the  captain  of  his  host.     And  Isaac  said  unto  them, 
Wherefore  are  ye  come  unto  me,  °seeing  ye  hate  me, 

28.  and  have  sent  me  away  from  you  ?     And  they  said,  °We 
saw  plainly  that  the  LORD  was  with  thee :  and  we  said,  Let 
there  now  be  °an  oath  betwixt  us,  °*5  even  betwixt  us  5f 

29.  and  thee,  and  let  us  make  a  covenant  with  thee;   °that 
thou  wilt  do  us  no  hurt,  as  we  have  not  touched  thee, 
and  as  we  have  done  unto  thee  6 nothing  but6  good,  and 


1  Gr.  thy  father.       *  Syr.  Godor.       3  Tar.  the  company  of.      *  Tar.   plu.      s  Gr. 
Vg.  Syr.  om.    6  Gr.  Syr.  om. 


Jacob   were   born,    and   this   fact   increases    its    significance.     See 

IS  :  4- 

25.  He  builded  an  altar  there ;    as  Abraham  had  at  Shechem, 
Bethel,  and  Hebron.     See  12  :  7  f.;    13  :  18.     Isaac's  servants  digged 
a  well;    the  one  which,  in  21  :  29,  is  said  to  have  been  digged  by 
Abraham. 

26.  The  part  of  the  story  contained  in  the  preceding  verses  is  only 
implied  in  21  :  22  ff.,  but  from  this  point  onward  the  two  versions  are 
more  nearly  parallel.     Here,  however,  Abimelech  brings  with  him 
Ahuzzath  his  friend,  his  vizier,  as  well  as  Phicol,  his   military  ad- 
viser. 

27.  Seeing  ye  hate  me,  etc.     Better,  after  having  hated  me,  and  sent 
me  away.     Isaac,  it  appears,  resented  Abimelech's  request  in  spite  of 
the  king's  diplomacy. 

28.  Abimelech  wisely  ignores  this  outburst  of  resentment  and  pro- 
ceeds to  give  the  reason  for  the  embassy,  We  saw  plainly  that  the 
LORD  was  with  thee.     Note  the  name  here  used  for  the  Deity.     It  is 
seldom  that  Yahweh  is  put  into  the  mouth  of  a  foreigner.     See  24  :  31. 
An  oath ;  a  covenant  secured  by  an  oath.     Even  betwixt  us,  which  is 
wanting  in  the  Versions,  is  apparently  a  scribal  error. 

29.  That  thou  wilt  do  us  no  hurt.    The  covenant  is  not  so  much  for 
the  present  as  for  the  future,  when  Isaac's  descendants  have  become 
a  nation.     Sent  thee  away  in  peace ;  in  spite  of  popular  envy.     And 


GENESIS  26  : 35 


have  °sent  thee  away  in  peace :   1  thou  art  now l  °the 

30.  blessed  of  the  LORD.     And  he  made  them  a  feast,  and 

31.  they  did  eat  and  drink.     And  °they  rose  up  betimes  in 
the  morning,  and  sware  one  to  another :  and  Isaac  sent 

32.  them  away,  and  they  departed  from  him  in  peace.    And 
it  came  to  pass  °the  same  day,  that  Isaac's  servants 
came,  and  told  him  concerning  the  well  which  they  had 
digged,  and  said  unto  him,  We  have2  found  water. 

33.  And  he  called  it  °Shibah:  therefore  the  name  of  °the 
city  is 3  Beer-sheba  unto  this  day. 

34.  And  when  Esau  was  forty  years  old  he  took  to  wife  P 
°Judith  4  the  daughter  of  Been  °the  Hittite,  and  °Base- 

35.  math  the  daughter  of  Elon  the  °Hittite5:    and  they 
were  a  grief  of  mind  unto  Isaac  and  to  Rebekah. 


1  Sam.  now  thou  art;   Gr.  and  now  thou  art.      *  Gr.  have  not.      s  Gr.  Syr.  he 
called.      *  Gr.  loudin  or  loudein.      *  Sam.  Gr.  mss.  Syr.  Hivitc. 


befc 


now,  they  add,  according  to  the  Greek  Version,  as  if  they  took  to  them- 
selves a  good  share  of  the  credit  for  Isaac's  prosperity,  thou  art  the 
blessed  of  the  LORD. 

ji.   They  rose  up  betimes ;  having  a  journey  possibly  of  fifty  miles 

fore  them. 

32.  The  same  day ;  apparently  after  the  Philistines  had  taken  their 
departure.    Compare  21  :  30,  where  Abraham  seems  to  have  finished 
the  well  just  before  Abimelech's  arrival. 

33.  Shibah,  Heb.,  Shibh'ah,  seems  to  be  a  mistake  for,  or  a  synonym 
of,  Shebhuah,  the  usual  word  for  oath.     It  is  here  used  in  allusion  to 
v.  31.  This  was  the  name  of  the  well.     Therefore,  says  the  writer, 
with  his  customary  fondness  for  alliteration  without  regard  to  actual 
meanings,  the  city  is  Beer-sheba  (Seven-well).     See  21  :  3ia. 

•     34  f.   For  the  comments  on  these  two  verses,  see  p.  an. 

(3)    A  struggle  for  supremacy,  27;    26  :  34  f.;    28  :  1-9 

The  bargain  between  Jacob  and  Esau  did  not  settle  the  matter  of 
the  birthright.  Isaac,  ignoring  the  whole  transaction,  planned  to 
make  Esau  his  heir.  The  strife  that  ensued  and  its  consequences  are 
described  in  the  next  three  paragraphs. 

201 


27  :  i  GENESIS 

j   27.       And  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  °Isaac  was  old,  and 

his  eyes  were  dim,  so  that  he  could  not  see,  he  called 

E  Esau  his  elder  son,  |  and  said  unto  him,  My  son :   and 

J     2.   he  said  unto  him,  Here  am  I.  |  And  he 1  said,  Behold 

now,  I  am  old,  °1 2  know  not  the  day  of  my  death. 

3.  Now  therefore  take,  I  pray  thee,   thy  weapons,  °thy 
quiver 3  and  thy  bow,  and  go  out  to  the  field,  and  take 

4.  me  °venison;   and  make  me  °savoury  meat,  such  as  I 
love,  and  bring  it  to  me,  that  I  may  eat;   that  my  soul 

5.  may  bless  thee  before  I  die.     °And  Rebekah  heard 

'  Gr.  mss.  Syr.  Isaac;  Vg.  the  father.      •  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  and  I.      3  Syr.  sword. 

(a)  Rebekah' s  artifice,  27  :  1-29.  Isaac,  feeling  that  his  end  is 
near,  sends  Esau  in  search  of  game  for  him,  promising,  in  return  for 
this  kindness,  to  give  the  young  man  his  blessing.  Rebekah,  over- 
hearing this  promise,  hastily  prepares  a  couple  of  kids  brought  her 
by  Jacob,  and  sends  him,  disguised  to  resemble  his  brother,  with  them 
to  her  husband.  The  old  man,  at  first  suspicious,  is  finally  made  to 
believe  that  the  bearer  is  actually  Esau ;  whereupon  he  bestows  the 
blessing  of  the  firstborn  upon  the  younger  brother.  The  story  in  its 
present  form  is  clearly  a  composite  from  the  Judean  and  Ephraimite 
narratives,  but  in  this  case  the  compiler  has  done  his  work  so  well  that 
it  is  difficult  to  separate  them.  There  can,  however,  be  little  doubt  that 
vs.  11-13,  16,  21-23  are  from  the  latter,  and  vs.  15,  20,  24-27  from  the 
former  work. 

1.  Isaac  was  old.     From  26  :  26  and  34  it  would  appear  that  he 
was  at  least  a  hundred  years  old.    The  Judean  writer  gives  no  data 
from  which  his  age  can  be  computed. 

2.  I  know  not  the  day  of  my  death.     His  end  was  evidently  near ; 
yet  according  to  35  :  28  (P)  he  lived  eighty  years  after  this  incident. 

3.  Thy  quiver  and  thy  bow.    The  Hebrews  used  slings  and  traps 
in  taking  small  game,  but  the  bow  for  larger  animals.     See  i  Sam. 
17  :  40;  Am.  3:5;  Is.  7  :  24.     Venison  is  here  used  in  the  sense  of 

«  game,  anything  taken  in  the  chase. 

4.  For  savoury  meat  a  more  exact  rendering  would  be  a  tasty  dish. 
In  the  original  Isaac  is  not  made  to  appeal  so  directly  to  Esau's  self- 
ishness as  in  the  translation.     He  asks  his  son  to  go  hunting  for  the 
purpose  of  providing  him  with  his  favorite  dish  and  only  incidentally 
receiving  the  blessing.     See  21  :  30. 

5.  And  Rebekah  heard  when  Isaac  spake.     Better,  Now  Rebekah 

202 


GENESIS  27  :  12 

when  Isaac  spake  to  Esau  his  son.     °And  Esau  went  to 

6.  the  field  to  hunt  for  venison,  and *  °*2  to  bring  it.f2    And 
Rebekah  spake  unto  Jacob  her  son,3  saying,  Behold,  I 

7.  heard  thy  father  speak  unto  Esau  thy  brother,  saying, 
Bring  me  venison,  and  make  me  savoury  meat,  °that  I 
may  eat,  and  bless  thee  before  the  LORD  before  my  death. 

8.  Now  therefore,  my  son,  °obey  my  voice  according  to 

9.  that  which  I  command  thee.     Go  now  to  the  flock,  and 
fetch  me  from  thence  °two  4  good  kids 4  of  the  goats ; 
and  I  will  make  them  savoury  meat  for  thy  father,  such 

10.  as  he  loveth :  and  thou  shalt  bring  it  to  thy  father,  that 
he  may  eat,  °so  that  he  may  bless  thee 5  before  his  death.  | 

11.  And  Jacob  said,  to  Rebekah  his  mother,  Behold,  °Esau  E 
my  brother  is  a  hairy  man,  and  I  am  a  smooth  man. 

12.  My  father  peradventure  will  feel  me,  and  I  shall  seem 
to  him  as  °a  deceiver 8 ;  and  7 1  shall 7  bring  °a  curse 

1  Heb.  om.     »  Gr.  for  his  father.     3  Gr.  younger  son.     *  Gr.  kids,  tender  and  good. 
s  Syr.  adds,  before  the  Lord.      6  m.  mocker.      i  Sam.  Syr.  thou  wilt. 

heard  Isaac  speaking.  And  Esau  went  to  the  field.  Better,  And 
•when  Esau  went  to  the  field  .  .  .  Rebekah  spake.  To  bring  it  is  an 
error,  easily  made  in  Hebrew,  for  which  the  Greek  Version  correctly 
reads  for  his  father. 

7.  That  I  may  eat,  and  bless  thee.     Rebekah  ignores  the  delicate 
turn  given  to  the  request  by  her  husband. 

8.  Obey  my  voice.     Rebekah  assumes  from  the  start  all  respon- 
sibility for  the  scheme  she  has  to  propose. 

9.  Two  good  kids.     A  kid  was  a  dainty,  fit  for  anybody,  two  enough 
for  a  feast.     See  Jud.  15  :  i.    On  the  method  of  cooking  and  serving 
them,  see  Jud.  6  :  19. 

10.  So  that  he  may  bless  thee.     Here  Rebekah  uses  the  same 
form  of  expression  that  is  found  in  v.  7;   but  in  this  case  it  indicates 
cunning  and  secrecy.     See  46  :  34. 

11.  Esau  my  brother  is  a  hairy  man.     Jacob  does  not  object  to 
receiving  the  blessing,  but  he  is  more  timid  than  his  mother. 

12.  A  deceiver.     Better,  as  in  the  margin,  a  mocker;   taking  ad- 
vantage of  his  blindness  to  play  tricks  on  him.     A  curse.    On  the 
father's  curse,  see  9  :  25  ff. 

203 


27  :  13  GENESIS 

13.  upon  me,  and  not  a  blessing.  And  his  mother  said  unto 
him,  °Upon  me  be  thy  curse,  my  son :  only  obey  my  voice, 

J   14.   and  go  fetch  me  them.  |  And  °he  went,  and  fetched, 

and  brought  them  to  his  mother :  and  his  mother  made 

15.   savoury  meat,  such  as  his  father  loved.     And  Rebekah 

took  °the  goodly  raiment l  of  Esau  her  elder  son,  which 

were  with  her  in  the  house,  and  put  them  upon  Jacob 

E  1 6.  her  younger  son:  |  and  she  put  °the  skins  of  the  kids 
of  the  goats  upon  his  hands,2  and  upon  °the  smooth  of 

j  17.  his  neck:  |  and  she  gave  the  savoury  meat  and  the 
bread,  which  she  had  prepared,  into  the  hand  of  her 

E   18.   son  Jacob.  |  And  °he  came*3  unto  his  father,  and  said, 

J  My  father :  and  he  said,  Here  am  1 4 ;  |  °who  art  thou, 

19.  my  son?    And  Jacob  said  unto  his  father,  I  am  Esau 5 
thy  firstborn ;  I  have  done  according  as  thou  badest  me : 
arise,  I  pray  thee,  sit  and  eat  of  my  venison,  that  thy 

20.  soul  may  bless  me.     And  Isaac  said  unto  his  son,  How 
is  it  that  thou  hast  found  it  so  quickly,  my  son?     And 

1  SV  garments.      *  Gr.  arms.      3  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  brought.      *  Syr.  adds,  and  he  said. 
s  Syr.  adds,  thy  son. 

13.  Upon  me  be  thy  curse.     She  was  willing  to  risk  her  own  hap- 
piness to  secure  the  blessing  for  her  son. 

14.  He  went,  and  fetched.     Better,  he  went  and  took,  or  got,  them. 

15.  The  goodly  raiment.     Better,  the  choicest  garments.    The  change 
of  raiment  seems  to  have  been  the  only  means  she  took,  according  to 
the  Judean  narrative,  to  disguise  her  son. 

16.  The  Ephraimite,  on  the  other  hand,  says  that   she  used  the 
skins  of  the  kids  of  the  goats  for  this  purpose.     The  smooth  of  his 
neck ;   the  part  not  covered  by  his  beard. 

18.  He  came  unto  his  father.     Read,  with  the  Versions,  he  brought, 
supplying  tltem.     Who  art  thou?   even  with  the    introductory  and 
he  said  of  the  Syriac  Version,  follows  very  unnaturally  the  preceding 
question. 

19.  Jacob  so  far  obeys  his  mother  that  he  does  not  ask  his  father 
directly  for  the  blessing,  but  by  his  choice  of  a  conjunction  he  sug- 
gests that  such  a  return  would  not  be  unwelcome.     See  21:31.     It 
is  as  if  one  said  in  English,  and  perhaps  thy  soul  will  bless  me. 

204 


GENESIS 


27  127 


he  said,  °Because  the  LORD  thy  God  sent  me  good 

21.  speed.  |  And  Isaac  said  unto  Jacob,  Come  near,  I  pray 
thee,  °that  I  may  feel  thee,  my  son,  whether  thou  be  my 

22.  very  son  Esau  or  not.    And  Jacob  went  near  unto 
Isaac  his  father;  and  he  felt  him,  and  said,  The  voice 
is  Jacob's  voice,  but  the  hands  are  the  hands  of  Esau. 

23.  And  he  discerned  him  not,  because  his  hands  were 
hairy,  as  his  brother  Esau's  hands :  °so  he  blessed  him. 

24.  |  And  he  said,  °Art  thou  my  very  son  Esau?    And  he 

25.  said,  I  am.    And  he  said,  Bring  it  near  to  me,  and  I 
will  eat  of  1  my  son's  venison,1  °that  my  soul  may  bless 
thee.    And  he  brought  it  near  to  him,  and  he  did  eat : 

26.  and  °he  brought  him  wine,  and  he  drank.     And  his 
father  Isaac  said  unto  him,  Come  near  now,  and  °kiss 

27.  me,  my  son.    And  he  came  near,  and  kissed  him;  and 
°he  smelled  the  smell  of  his  raiment,  and  blessed  him, 
and  said, 

1  Gr.  Vg.  thy  game,  my  son. 

20.  Because  the  LORD  thy  God  sent  me  good  speed  is  rank  sacrilege. 

21.  That  I  may  feel  thee.     He  had  lost  his  sight,  and  to  some  extent 
his  hearing,  but  he  knew  that  he  could  still  rely  on  his  sense  of  touch. 

23.  So  he  blessed  him.  This  marks  the  end  of  the  Ephraimite  version, 
which  seems  not  to  have  given  the  terms  of  the  blessing.    See  vs.  27  ff. 

24.  The  question  Art  thou  my  very  son  Esau  ?  sounds  strange  in  its 
present  connection,  but  if  this  verse  be  read  as  the  continuation  of  v. 
20,  it  will  seem  perfectly  natural. 

25.  That  my  soul  may  bless  thee.     In  this  case  a  construction  is 
used  by  which  the  blessing  is  represented  as  a  good  that  any  one  might 
covet.     He  brought  him  wine.     It  does  not  seem  quite  in  character  for 
a  nomad  to  drink  wine ;   yet  see  19  :  32  ff. 

26.  Kiss  me.    The  practice  of  kissing  was  common  among  the 
Hebrews,  but  there  are  no  instances  of  it  in  Genesis,  except  among 
relatives.     See  29  :  u;   33  :  4;   etc.     In  this  case  Isaac  seems  to  have 
made  it  a  means  of  making  sure  that  the  son  who  was  serving  him  was 
indeed  Esau. 

27.  The  test,  thanks  to  the  cunning  of  Rebekah,  proved  satisfactory: 
he  smelled  the  smell  of  his  raiment,  and  blessed  him.    The  blessing 

205 


27  :  28  GENESIS 


See,  the  smell  of  my  son 

is  as  the  smell  of  °a  field  * 

°which  the  LORD  hath  blessed: 

28.  And 2  God  give  thee  of  °the  dew  of  heaven, 

and  of  °the  fatness  of  the  earth, 

and  plenty  of  °corn 3  and  wine 4 : 

29.  °Let  peoples  serve  thee, 

and  nations  bow  down  to  thee : 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  full  field.      *  Syr.  om.      3  SV  grain.      *  SV  new  wine. 


consists  of  two  stanzas,  each  having  six  lines,  but  not  in  the  same 
arrangement.  In  RV  the  second  and  third  lines  of  the  first  stanza 
are  printed  as  a  single  line.  The  odor  that  comes  from  his  son's 
clothing  suggests  a  field ;  not  a  small  piece  of  ground,  but  a  wide 
stretch  of  country.  The  Samaritans  read  a  full  field.  It  is  clear  from 
the  received  text  that  it  is  a  fruitful  region,  because  it  is  one  which  the 
LORD  hath  blessed,  viz.,  with  abundant  moisture.  See  Dt.  n  :  n  f. 

28.  That  his  heir  may  possess  and  enjoy  such  a  country  is  the  fore- 
most desire  of  Isaac's  heart.     The  dew  of  heaven  here  seems  to  in- 
clude, not  only  dew  proper,  which  is  very  copious  in  Palestine,  but 
rain  also,  as  the  life  of  vegetation.     The  fatness  of  the  earth ;  the  part 
with  the  richest  soil.     Corn  and  wine.     Better,  grain  and  must,  the 
latter  being  the  freshly  expressed  juice  of  the  grape  as  a  product  of 
the  soil.    The  difference  between  it  and  wine  as  a  beverage  is  clearly 
shown  inMic.  6  :  15,  properly  translated.     It  says,  "Thou  shalt  sow, 
but  not  reap ;  thou  shalt  tread  olives,  but  not  anoint  with  oil ;  also 
press  out  must,  but  not  drink  wine."    The  must  was  doubtless  drunk 
to  some  extent  during  the  vintage,  but  there  is  no  reliable  evidence  that 
is  was  "  a  highly  prized  beverage";   for,  in  the  cases  which  at  first 
sight  seem  to  prove  the  contrary,  it  is  must  after  it  has  become  wine 
that  is  meant.     See  Jud.  9  :  13 ;   Is.  62  :  8 ;  Zech.  9  :  17.     A  third 
product,  oil,  is  usually  added  to  the  two  here  named.     See  Dt.  7  :  13  ; 
Ps.  104  :  15  ;  etc.    These  three  have  always  been  the  main  sources  of 
the  wealth  of  the  inhabitants  of  Palestine. 

29.  The  preceding  stanza  confines  itself  to  the  internal  condition 
of  the  future  nation ;  this  one  takes  account  of  its  relations  to  other 
peoples.     Let  peoples  serve  thee.    The  writer  doubtless  has  in  mind 
the  conquest  of  Palestine  and  the  later  subjugation  by  David  of  the 
tribes  and  peoples  on  its   borders.     See  Jud.    i ;    2  Sam.  8.     Thy 
brethren   can  only  mean  Esau  and  his  descendants,  the  Edomites, 
who  were  subdued  by  David  and  remained  subject  to  the  kingdom 

206 


GENESIS  27  :  33 


Be  lord  over  °thy  brethren,1 

and  let  thy  mother's2  °sons  bow  down  to  thee: 
Cursed  be  every  one  that  curseth  thee, 

and  blessed  be  every  one  that  blesseth  thee. 

30.  And  it  came  to  pass,  °as  soon  as  Isaac  had  made  an  J 
end  of  blessing  Jacob,3      °and  Jacob  was  yet  scarce  E 
gone  out  of  the  presence  of  Isaac  his  father,  |  that  j 

31.  Esau  his  brother  came  in  from  his  hunting.     And  he 
also   made   savoury   meat,    and   brought   it   unto   his 
father;  and  he  said  unto  his  father,  Let  my  father  arise, 
and  eat  of  his  son's  venison,  °that  thy  soul  may  bless 

32.  me.    And  Isaac   his  father  said  unto  him,  Who  art 
thou  ?    And  he  said,  I  am  thy  son,  thy  firstborn,  Esau.  | 

33.  And  Isaac  trembled  very  exceedingly,  and  said,  °Who  E 

1  Gr.  Tar.  sing.       '  Gr.  father's.      3  Gr.  adds,  his  son. 

of  Judah  until  the  reign  of  Jehoram.  See  2  Sam.  8  :  14;  2  Kgs.  8  : 
20  ff.  The  Greek  Version  and  the  Targum  have  thy  brother,  but  this 
is  evidently  a  correction  prompted  by  too  narrow  an  interpretation  of 
the  term  brethren.  See  the  sons  of  the  next  line.  On  the  last  couplet, 
see  12  :  3. 

The  blessing  bestowed  upon  Jacob  is  not  a  prediction,  but  records 
the  conviction  of  a  later  time  that  the  rise  of  the  Hebrew  nation  was 
divinely  ordained  and  providentially  directed. 

(b)  Esau's  appeal,  27  :  30-40.  Esau,  returning,  finds  that 
Jacob  has  forestalled  him;  but  he  makes  a  passionate  appeal  to  Isaac, 
and  the  patriarch  finally  bestows  upon  him  a  blessing  suited  to  his 
impulsive  and  adventurous  character.  The  paragraph  is  mainly 
from  the  Judean  narrative,  but  the  Ephraimite  also  is  represented. 

30.  And  Jacob  was  yet  scarce  gone  out.    The  original  has  and  it 
came  to  pass  that  Jacob,  etc.    The  restoration  of  the  suppressed  words 
makes  it  clear  that  the  whole  clause  is  a  duplicate  of  the  one  preceding, 
and  therefore  from  another  source.     It  was  inserted  because  the  com- 
piler gave  the  particle  here  rendered  as  soon  as  the  sense  of  when, 
which  would  now  be  a  better  translation. 

31.  That  thy  soul  may  bless  me.    The  construction  is  the  same  as 
in  v.  19,  viz.,  the  one  that  politely  suggests  rather  than  directly  re- 
quests the  thing  desired. 

33.   Who  then  is  he,  etc.     According  to  the  Ephraimite  version  of 
207 


27  :  34  GENESIS 


then  is  he  that  hath  taken  venison,  and  brought  it  me, 

and  °I  have  eaten  of  all  before  thou  earnest,  and  have 

blessed  him  ?  yea,  and 1  °he  shall  be  blessed.     °When 2 

34.  Esau  heard  the  words  of  his  father,  he  cried  with  an 

exceeding  great  and  bitter  cry,  and  said 3  unto  his  father,3 

J  35.   °Bless  me,  even  me  also,  O  my  father.  |  And  he  said, 

°Thy  brother  came  with  guile,  and  hath  taken  away 

36.  thy  blessing.     And  he  said,  Is  not  he  rightly  named 
0 Jacob?   for  he  hath  supplanted  me  these  two  times: 
°he  took  away  my  birthright;    and,  behold,  now  he 
hath  taken  away  my  blessing.     And  4  he  said,4  °Hast 

37.  thou  not  reserved5  a  blessing  for  me8?    And  Isaac 
answered   and  said  unto  Esau,  Behold,  I  have  made 
him  thy  lord,  and  all  his  brethren  have  I  given  to  him 
for  servants ;    and  with  corn 7  and  wine  8  have  I  sus- 


1  So  Sam.  Syr.  »  Sam.  Gr.  And  it  came  to  pass  -when.  3  Gr.  Vg.  om.  *  Gr. 
Syr.  Esau  said  unto  his  father.  *  Sam.  saved.  6  Gr.  adds,  father  =  Heb.  my  father. 
i  SV  grain.  •  SV  new  wine. 


the  story  he  did  not  at  once  suspect  Jacob  of  having  deceived  him. 
Compare  v.  35.  I  have  eaten  of  all.  The  change  of  a  single  letter  would 
transform  the  Hebrew  word  rendered  of  all  into  one  that  could  be 
translated  heartily,  and  this  may  well  have  been  the  original  reading. 
So  Kittel.  He  shall  be  blessed.  A  blessing,  being  regarded  as  an 
inspired  utterance,  was  "  without  repentance."  See  Is.  55  :  n;  Rom. 
ii  :  29. 

34.  For  When  read,  with  the  Samaritans  and  the  Greek  Version, 
And  it  came  to  pass  when.     Bless  me,  even  me  also.     Esau's  unfeigned 
disappointment  indicates  that  this  passage  is  not  by  the  writer  who 
describes  the  sale  of  the  birthright  in  25  :  29  ff.     Compare  v.  36. 

35.  Thy  brother  came  with  guile.     Compare  v.  33,  where  Isaac 
did  not  seem  to  know  who  had  deceived  him. 

36.  Jacob ;    Supplanter.     He    took    away    my   birthright.     Esau 
has  forgotten  his  own  contempt  for  it.     See  25  :  34.     Hast  thou  not 
reserved  a  blessing  for  me  ?     A  fair  question,  for,  although  the  first- 
born was  entitled  to  precedence,  the  rest  of  the  children  had  their 
portions.     Isaac  himself  had  not  robbed  Ishmael  of  a  blessing.     See 
17:  20. 

208 


GENESIS  27  : 40 


tained  him :  and  °what  then  shall  I  do  for  thee,  my  son  ? 

38.  And  Esau  said   unto  his  father,  Hast  thou  but  one 
blessing,  my  father?   °*  bless  me,  even  me  also,  O  my 
father.1!    And  Esau  lifted  up  his  voice,  and  wept.  | 

39.  And  Isaac  his  father  answered,  and  said  unto  him, 

Behold,  °of2  the  fatness  of  the  earth  shall  be  thy 
dwelling, 

and 3  °of 2  the  dew  of  heaven  from  above ; 

40.  And  °by  thy  sword  shalt  thou  live, 

and  °thou  shalt  serve  thy  brother; 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass  °when  thou  shalt  4  break 
loose,4 

that  °5  thou  shalt  shake  his  yoke 5  from  off 
thy  neck. 

1  Gr.  adds,  And  Isaac  kept  silence.      '  m.  away  front.      3  Sam.  om.      4  Gr.  Vg. 
cast  off;  Syr.  return.       s  Syr.  his  yoke  shall  pass. 

37.  What  then  shall  I  do  for  thee  ?    There  remains  nothing  but  in- 
feriority. 

38.  Bless  me,  even  me  also,  O  my  father,  appears  to  be  a  repetition 
of  the  same  words  in  v.  34.     In  the  Greek  Version  it  is  followed  by 
and  Isaac  kept  silence,  which,  with  the  next  clause,  may  have  been 
the  conclusion  of  the  Judean  story.    The  idea  of  the  writer,  therefore, 
was  that  Esau  received  no  blessing. 

39.  The  phrase  of  the  fatness  of  the  earth  is  borrowed  from  v.  28, 
but  the  connection  requires  that  it  should  here  mean  outside  the  fertile 
part  of  the  earth.     Of  the  dew  of  heaven  must  be  interpreted  in  the  same 
way,  i.e.,  as  meaning  outside  the  region  watered  by  the  dew  of  heaven. 
The  blessing  that  Esau  wrings  from  his  father,  therefore,  is  a  sorry  sub- 
stitute for  the  one  he  lost.     It  is  sometimes  objected  to  this  interpre- 
tation that  Edom  is  not  a  dry  and  sterile  country,  but  that  "  the 
wadies  are  full  of  trees  and  shrubs  and  flowers,  while  the  eastern  and 
higher  parts  are  extensively  cultivated  and  yield  good  crops."    The 
discrepancy  may  be  explained  by  supposing  that,  when  this  passage 
was  written,  the  Edomites  occupied,  west  of  their  mountains,  territory 
a  large  part  of  which  answered  to  the  above  description. 

40.  By  the  sword  ;  war  and  plunder.    Thou  shalt  serve  thy  brother ; 
finally  be  subdued  by  the  descendants  of  Isaac.     See  v.  29.     When 
thou  shalt  break  loose;    better,  become  restless.     Thou  shalt  shake, 

P  209 


27  :  41  GENESIS 


j  41.  And  Esau  hated  Jacob  because  of  the  blessing  where- 
with his  father  blessed  him :  and  Esau  said  °*  in  his 
heart,  f  °The  days  of  mourning  for  my  father  are  at 

42.  hand;    then  I  will  slay  my  brother  Jacob.     And  the 
words  of  Esau  her  elder  son  were  told  to  Rebekah; 
and  she  sent  and  °called  Jacob  her  younger  son,  and 
said  unto  him,  Behold,  thy  brother  Esau,  as  touching 
thee,   doth   comfort   himself,   purposing   to   kill   thee. 

43.  Now  therefore,  my  son,  obey  my  voice;  and  arise,  flee  l 

44.  thou  to  Laban  my  brother  to  Haran;    and  tarry  with 
E           him    °a   few   days,  |  until   thy   brother's   2  fury   turn 
J  45.   away;  |  °until  thy  brother's  anger2  turn  away  from 

thee,  and  he  forget  that  which  thou  hast  done  to 
him:  then  I  will  send,  and  fetch  thee  from  thence: 
why  should  I  be  bereaved  of  you  °both  in  one  day  ? 

1  Syr.  go.      *  Gr.  fury  and  anger. 


better,  tear,  his  yoke  from  off  thy  neck.  The  revolt  took  place,  as 
already  noted,  in  the  reign  of  Jehoram,  about  850  B.C.  See  2  Kgs. 
8 :  20  ff. 

(c)  The  departure  of  Jacob  for  the  East,  27  :  41-45 ;  26 : 34  f . ;  27  :  46; 
28  :  1-9.  There  are  two  very  different  accounts  of  this  event  and  the 
reason  for  it. 

(a)  The  first  account,  27  :  41-45,  represents  it  as  a  flight.  Esau, 
angered  by  the  loss  of  his  birthright,  plans  to  kill  his  brother;  but 
Rebekah,  hearing  of  his  purpose,  secretly  sends  Jacob  to  Laban,  her 
brother.  The  source  is  the  Judean  narrative,  except  in  44b  (E). 

41.  The  words  in  his  heart  can  hardly  be  original,  since,   if  Esau 
had  spoken  only  to  himself  of  his  plan,  Rebekah  would  not  have 
known  anything  about  it.     The  days  of  mourning;   the  time  when 
Isaac  will  have  died. 

42.  Rebekah,  with  her  usual  promptness,  called  Jacob.     See  v.  6. 

44.  A  few  days.     She  minimizes  the  length  of  his  absence,  lest  he 
should  refuse  to  go;   or,  perhaps,  lest  she  herself  should  be  unable  to 
part  with  him. 

45.  Until  ...  he   forget;    as  impulsive  persons  soon  do.     How 
completely  he  forgot  is  shown  by  the  cordiality  with  which  he  wel- 
comed Jacob  back  to  Canaan.     See  33  :  4  ff.     Both  in  one  day ;   one 

210 


GENESIS  28  : 2 


46.  And  Rebekah  said  to  Isaac,  °I  am  weary  of  my  life 
because  of  °the  daughters  of  *  Heth :  if  Jacob  take  a 
wife  of  the  daughters  **  of  Heth,  such  as  these,  of  °the 
daughters  3f  of  the 4  land,  what  good  shall  my  life  do  me  ? 

28.    And  Isaac  called  Jacob,  and  blessed  him,  and  charged 

him,  and  said  unto  him,  Thou  shalt  not  take  a  wife  of 

2.    °the  daughters  of  Canaan.     Arise,  go 5  to  Paddan-aram, 

to  °the  house  of  Bethuel  thy  mother's  father;  and  take 

thee  a  wife  from  thence  of  the  daughters  of  Laban  thy 

1  Gr.  adds,  the  sons  of.     a  Vg.  race.    3  Gr.  Vg.  om.    *  Gr.  Vg.  this,      s  Gr.fiee. 

by  the  hand  of  his  brother,  and  the  other  by  that  of  the  avenger  of 
blood.  See  2  Sam.  14  :  7. 

(6)  The  second  account,  26  :  34  f.;  27  :  46 ;  28  :  1-9,  Esau 
marries  two  Hittite  women,  at  which  Isaac  and  Rebekah  are  so  dis- 
turbed that  they  send  Jacob  to  Paddan-aram  to  find  a  wife.  After 
his  departure  Esau,  to  please  his  parents,  marries  a  daughter  of 
Ishmael.  The  three  passages  of  which  this  paragraph  is  composed 
are  all  from  the  Priestly  source. 

26  :  34  f.  Judith  the  daughter  of  Beeri.  See  36  :  2,  where  the  names 
of  both  the  daughter  and  her  father  are  entirely  different.  The 
Hittite ;  one  of  the  people  of  the  land,  probably  resident  at  or  near 
Hebron,  where  Isaac  also  lived.  See  23  :  7.  Basemath  the  daughter 
of  Elon.  See  36  :  2  f.,  where  the  daughter's  name  is  Adah,  Base- 
math  being  the  daughter  of  Ishmael  and  Esau's  third  wife.  Accord- 
ing to  the  Samaritans  and  some  other  authorities  Elon  was  a  Hivite; 
but  Hittite,  in  the  sense  of  Canaanite,  is  the  better  reading.  It  is 
favored  by  the  fact  that  all  the  persons  here  mentioned  have  good 
Hebrew  and  Canaanite  names.  On  Judith,  see  Jud.  8  :  i  ff.;  on 
Beeri,  Hos.  i  :  i;  on  Basemath,  i  Kgs.  4  :  15;  on  Elon,  Gen. 
46  :  14. 

46.  I  am  weary  of  my  life.  Here  speaks  the  opposition  to  foreign 
marriages  that  characterized  the  time  of  Ezra.  See  Ezr.  10  :  5  ff. 
The  interpretation  above  given  to  the  term  Hittite  is  confirmed  by 
the  parallelism  between  the  daughters  of  Heth  and  the  daughters  of 
the  land. 

28  :  i.  The  same  persons  are  now  called  the  daughters  of  Canaan. 

2.  The  house  of  Bethuel.  It  is  possible  that  P,  whose  idea  with 
reference  to  the  length  of  the  lives  of  the  patriarchs  finds  its  most 
extravagant  expression  in  chapters  5  and  n,  here  intended  to  represent 
the  father  of  Rebekah  as  still  alive.  Compare  24  :  28;  27  :  43. 


28  :  3  GENESIS 


3.  mother's  brother.     And  01  God  Almighty  1  bless  thee, 
and  make  thee  fruitful,  and  multiply  thee,  that  thou 

4.  mayest  be  °a  company  of  peoples ;   and  give  thee  °the 
blessing  of  Abraham,2  to  thee,  and  to  thy  seed  with  thee ; 
that  thou  mayest  inherit  the  land  of  thy  sojournings, 

5.  which   God 3  gave   unto  Abraham.     And   Isaac   sent 
away    Jacob:     and   he   went   to   Paddan-aram    unto 
Laban,  son  of  Bethuel  the  Syrian,4  the  brother  of  Re- 

6.  bekah,  Jacob's  and  Esau's  mother.     Now  Esau  saw 
that  Isaac  had  blessed  Jacob  5  and  sent  him  away  to 
Paddan-aram,  to  take  him  a  wife  from  thence;  and  that 
as  he  blessed  him  he  gave  him  a  charge,  saying,  Thou 

1  Gr.  my  God.  •  Sam.  adds,  thy  father;  Gr.  adds,  my  father.  3  Sam.  Yahweh. 
«  m.  Aramean.  *  Syr.  adds,  his  brother. 

3.  God  Almighty  bless  thee.    The  blessing  which,  according  to  the 
other  sources,  was  wrested  from  Esau  is  here  given  to  Jacob  as  a 
matter  of  course.     A  company  of  peoples.     See  17  :  4,  16  ;  35  :  n. 

4.  The  blessing  of  Abraham ;  conveying  a  title  to  the  Promised  Land. 
See  17  :  8. 

9.  Esau  went  unto  Ishmael.  There  is  not  the  slightest  hint  of  strife 
or  rivalry  between  the  brothers,  unless  it  be  found  in  the  endeavor 
of  Esau  thus  to  please  his  parents.  Mahalath  the  daughter  of  Ishmael. 
In  36  :  3  she  is  called  Basemath,  which,  according  to  26  :  34,  was  the 
name  of  Esau's  second  Hittite  wife.  On  the  discrepancy,  see  36  :  2  f. 
The  Syriac  Version  inconsistently  reads  Basemath  in  all  three  places. 
The  sister  of  Nebaioth  seems  to  have  been  borrowed  from  36  :  3. 

(4)    The  heir  in  exile,  28  :  10-32  :  2)3 

In  this  section  is  included  the  composite  record,  from  all  the  sources, 
of  the  experiences  of  Jacob  from  the  time  he  set  out  on  his  journey  to 
the  East  until  he  again  set  foot  within  the  borders  of  the  Promised 
Land. 

(a)  The  vision  at  Bethel,  28  :  10-22.  On  his  way  to  the  East 
Jacob  spends  a  night  at  Bethel,  where  God  appears  to  him  and  not 
only  renews  the  promise  made  to  Abraham  and  Isaac,  but  assures  him 
of  direction  and  protection  on  his  present  journey.  In  the  morning, 
after  setting  up  a  pillar,  he  makes  a  vow  that,  if  the  promise  made  him 
is  fulfilled,  he  will  recognize  Yahweh  as  his  God  and  the  place  where 


GENESIS  28  :  12 


7.  shalt  not  take  a  wife  of  the  daughters  of  Canaan;  and 
that  Jacob  obeyed  his  father  and  his  mother,  and  was 

8.  gone  to  Paddan-aram :  and  Esau  saw  that  the  daughters 

9.  of  Canaan  pleased  not  Isaac  his  father;    and  °Esau 
went  1  unto  Ishmael,1  and  took  unto  the  wives  which 
he  had  °Mahalath  2  the  daughter  of  Ishmael  Abraham's 
son,  °the  sister  of  Nebaioth,  to  be  his  wife. 

10.  And  Jacob  went  out  °from  Beer-sheba,  3  and  went  J 

11.  toward3  Haran.  |  And  he  lighted   upon  °4  a  certain  E 
place,4  and  tarried  there  all  night,  because  °the  sun  was 
set;   and  °he  took  one  of  the  stones  of  the  place,  and 
put  it  under  his  head,  and  lay  down  in  that  place  to 

12.  sleep.     And  he  dreamed,5  and  behold  °a  ladder  set  up 
on  the  earth,  and  the  top  of  it  reached  to  heaven:  and 
behold  °the  angels  of  God  °ascending  and  descending 

1  Sam.  om.       »  Syr.  Basemath.      3  Sam.  to  go  to.      *  m.  the  place.       x  Syr.  saw  in 
his  dream. 


he  has  slept  as  a  sanctuary.  The  story  as  thus  outlined  seems  con- 
sistent, but,  when  more  closely  examined,  it  reveals  discrepancies 
that  can  only  be  explained  by  supposing  it  to  have  been  compiled 
from  parallel  accounts  in  the  Judean  and  Ephraimite  narratives. 

10.  From  Beer-sheba ;  where,  according  to  25  :  23  (J),  Isaac  took 
up  his  abode  before  his  sons  were  born. 

n.  A  certain  place;  viz.,  the  one  where  the  things  narrated  oc- 
curred. He  had  not  sought  it,  nor  did  he  at  the  time  know  that  it 
was  a  sacred  site ;  but  it  seems  to  have  been  the  one,  east  of  Bethel, 
on  which  Abraham  had  pitched  his  tent  and  built  an  altar.  See  12:8. 
The  sun  was  set;  and  the  twilight  would  be  brief,  as  it  always  is  in 
that  latitude.  He  took  one  of  the  stones;  not  an  uncomfortable 
pillow  for  an  oriental,  with  his  turban  for  a  nightcap. 

12.  A  ladder  set  up  is  rather  a  primitive  contrivance  for  communi- 
cation between  heaven  and  earth ;  but,  since  the  Hebrews  did  not  rep- 
resent the  angels  with  wings,  the  writer  could  hardly  have  presented 
the  thought  he  wished  to  convey  in  a  more  natural  way.  The  angels 
of  God;  elsewhere  only  32  :  1)2.  The  plural  of  angel  of  Yahweh  is 
nowhere  found.  Ascending  and  descending;  thus  symbolizing  the 
instant  and  continuous  helpfulness  of  God. 

213 


28  :  13  GENESIS 


J  13.  on  it.  |  And,  behold,  the  LORD  ''stood1  2  above  it,2  and 
said,  I  am  the  LORD,  °the  God  of  Abraham  thy  father, 
and  the  God  of  Isaac  3 :  the  land  whereon  thou  liest,  to 

14.  thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed;   and  thy  seed  shall 
be  as  the  4  dust  of  the  earth,4  and  °5  thou  shalt 5  spread 
abroad  to  the  west,  and  to  the  east,8  and  to  the  north, 
and  to  the  south7:    and  in  thee  and  in  thy  seed  shall 

15.  all  the  families  of  the  earth  °be  blessed.     And,  behold, 
°I  am  with  thee,  and  will  keep  thee  whithersoever  thou 
goest,  and  will  bring  thee  again  into  this  land;  for  I 
will  not  leave  thee,  until  I  have  done  that 8  which  I  have 

1 6.  spoken  to  thee  of.     And  Jacob  awaked  out  of  his  sleep, 
and  he  said,  Surely  °the  LORD  is  in  this  place;  and  I 

E  17.  knew  it  not.  |  And  he  was  afraid,9  and  said,  How  dread- 
ful is  this  place  10 !  this  is  none  other  but  the  house  of 

1  Gr.  Vg.  leaned.  3  m.  beside  him;  Gr.  Vg.  upon  it.  3  Gr.  adds,  fear  not.  *  Gr. 
sand  of  the  sea.  s  Gr.  it  shall.  6  Gr.  south.  i  Gr.  east.  8  Gr.  Vg.  all  tJtat. 
«  Syr.  exceedingly  afraid.  I0  Syr.  adds,  to-day. 

13.  If,  however,  this  is  correct,  it  is  incongruous  to  say  that  the  Lord 
stood  above  it,  viz.,  the  ladder,  and  spoke  directly  to  Jacob.     The  dif- 
ficulty is  removed  by  recognizing  here  the  hand  of  the  Judean  writer, 
who  has  no  hesitation  about  bringing  God  and  man  into  the  closest  rela- 
tions, and  rendering  the  ambiguous  words,  as  in  the  margin,  beside  him. 
The  divine  apparition  announces  itself  as  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  the 
God  of  Isaac,  this  formula  being  used  to  give  solemnity  to  the  renewal 
of  the  promise  of  the  land  which  follows.     See  12:7;  26  :  24. 

14.  Thou  shalt  spread  abroad.     The  Greek  Version  has  it  shall 
spread  abroad,  which  seems  to  be  required  by  the  preceding  clause. 
Be  blessed.     See  12:3. 

15.  In  the  two  preceding  verses  the  promise  is  for  a  future  people  ; 
here  Yahweh  gives  Jacob  in  his  wanderings  the  present  personal  as- 
surance, I  am  with  thee. 

1 6.  The  LORD  is  in  this  place.    The  early  Hebrews  did  not  expect  to 
find  God  everywhere,  least  of  all  among  strangers  and    foreigners. 
See  4  :  14;  i  Sam.  27  :  19. 

17.  This  verse,  as  it  now  stands,  is  a  useless  repetition  of  v.  16. 
Attach  it  to  v.  12,  and  it  acquires  a  significance  of  its  own,  being  the 
natural  continuation  of  the  Ephraimite  story.     See  the  name  God. 

214 


GENESIS 


29:1 


18.  °God,  and  this  is  the  gate  of  heaven.     And  Jacob  rose 
up  early  in  the  morning,  and  took  the  stone  that  he  had 
put  under  his  head,  and  set  it  up  for  °a  pillar,  and 

19.  poured  oil  upon  the  top  of  it.  |  And  he l  called  the   J 
name  of  that  place  °Beth-el :   but  the  name  of  the  city 

20.  was  °Luz  at  the  first.  |  And  Jacob  vowed  a  vow,  say-   E 
ing,  If  God  2  will  be  with  me,  and  will  keep  me  in  this 
way  that  I  go,  and  will  give  me  bread  to  eat,  and  rai- 

21.  ment  to  put  on,  so  that  I  come  again  to  my  father's  house 

22.  in  peace, 3  then  shall  °*  the  LORD  f  be  my  God,  |  and  3 
this  stone,  which  I  have  set  up  for  a  pillar,  shall  be  4 
God's  house:  |  and  of  all  that  thou  shalt  give  me  I  R 
will  surely  give  the  tenth  unto  thee. 

29.        Then  Jacob  went  on  his  journey,  and  came  to  the  E 

1  Gr.  Syr.  Jacob.  '  Gr.  the  Lord  God.  3  m.  and  the  Lord  will  be  my  God,  then. 
*  Gr.  adds,  to  me;  Vg.  adds,  called. 

18.  A  pillar.     When  this  passage  was  written  the  erection  of  pillars 
was  legitimate,  at  least  in  the  kingdom  of  Israel.     See  also  31  :  45. 
Moses  is  reported  to  have  set  up  twelve  at  Sinai.     See  Ex.  24  :  4  (E). 
Later  they  became  symbols  of  false  worship  and  were  therefore  for- 
bidden.    See  Dt.  12  :  2  f.;  16  :  21  f. 

19.  Beth-el.     This  is  the  first  of  three  passages  in  which  the  origin 
of  the  name  Bethel  is  explained.      The  other  two  are  35  :  7  and  15, 
which  agree  in  teaching  that  it  was  given  the  place  by  Jacob  as  he  was 
returning  from  the  East.    The  discrepancy  is  due,  as  usual,  to  differ-- 
ence  of  authorship.    On  the  name  Luz,  see  35  :  6. 

20  f .  The  LORD.  The  proper  subject  of  the  clause  is  the  God  of  v. 
20.  Read,  therefore,  then  shall  he  be  my  God. 

22.  The  last  clause  is  a  later  addition  by  a  priestly  hand. 

(b)  The  meeting  between  Jacob  and  Rebekah,  29  :  1-14.  As 
Jacob  approaches  Haran,  he  comes  upon  a  well  at  which  the  sheep  are 
gathering  for  water.  In  answer  to  his  inquiries  concerning  Laban 
the  shepherds  point  out  to  him  Rachel  bringing  her  father's  flock. 
He  removes  the  stone  from  the  well  and  waters  her  sheep.  Finally 
he  makes  himself  known  to  her,  whereupon  she  carries  the  news  of 
his  arrival  to  her  father,  who  welcomes  the  young  man  to  his  home. 
The  introductory  verse  is  from  the  Ephraimite,  all  the  rest  of  the  para- 
graph from  the  Judean,  narrative. 

215 


29  :  2  GENESIS 

J  2.  land  of  01  the  children  of 1  the  east.2  |  And  he  looked, 
and  behold,  a  well  °in  the  field,  and,  lo,  three  flocks  of 
sheep  lying  there  by  it;  for  out  of  that  well  they  wa- 
tered the  flocks :  and 3  the  *  stone  upon  the  well's  mouth 

3.  was  great.3    °And  thither  were  all  the  flocks 4  gathered : 
and  they  rolled  the  stone  from  the  well's  mouth,  and 
watered  the  sheep,  and  put  the  stone  again  upon  the 

4.  well's  mouth  in  its  place.     And  Jacob  said  unto  them, 
My   brethren,   whence  be5  ye?    And  they  said,   Of 

5.  Haran  are  we.     And  he  said  unto  them,   Know  ye 
Laban  °the  son  of  Nahor?    And  they  said,  °We  know 

6.  him.    And  he  said  unto  them,  °Is  it  well  with  him? 

*  Gr.  om.  »  Gr.  adds,  to  Laban  the  son  of  Bethuel  the  Syrian,  the  brother  of  Re- 
bekah  the  mother  of  Jacob  and  Esau.  3  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  there  was  a  great  stone  on 
the  well's  mouth.  *  Sam.  shepherds.  s  SV  are. 

1.  The  children  of  the  east  must  have  comprised  many  tribes 
and  peoples.     According  to  Jb.  i  :  3  the  inhabitants  of  Uz  were  among 
them,  and  since  Bethuel  was  a  brother  of  Uz,  his  family  also  was 
doubtless  included.     See  22  :  21.     Still,  it  is  possible  that  E  may 
not  have  located  the  home  of   this  family  as  far  east  as  Haran. 
See  31  :  22  f.    The  Greek  Version  adds  to  this  verse  a  long  list  of  par- 
ticulars borrowed  from  28  :  5. 

2.  In  the  field;    in  the  open  country.    The  well,  therefore,  was 
probably  not  the  one  at  which  Abraham's  steward  met  Rebekah. 
In  this  case,  according  to  the  correct  reading  of  the  Samaritans  and 
the  Versions,  there  was  a  large  stone  on  the  well's  mouth,  to  prevent 
unauthorized  persons  from  using  the  water. 

3.  And  thither  .  .  .  and  they  rolled;  i.e.,  And  when  all  the  flocks 
•were  gathered  thither  they  rolled,  etc. 

5.  The  son  of  Nahor.     Son  is  here  used  loosely  for  descendant. 
See  the  use  of  brother  for  relative,  14  :  14.    We  know  him ;  the  Hebrew 
idiom  requiring  that  the  verb  of  the  question  be  repeated  in  the  answer, 
as  in  24  :  58. 

6.  Is  it  well  with  him?    lit.  7s  there  peace  to  him?    See  43  :  27. 
Compare  the  salutation,  "Is  there  peace  to  thee?"  2  Kgs.  4:  26; 
and  the  benediction,  "  Peace  to  thee!  "  Jud.  19  :  20.    The  appear- 
ance of  Rachel  is  in  harmony  with  oriental  custom.    Moses  met  his 
future  wife  at  a  well  where  she  and  her  sisters  were  watering  their 
father's  sheep.     See  Ex.  2  :  16  ff. 

216 


GENESIS  29  :  13 


And  they  said,   It  is  well:    and,  behold,   Rachel  his 

7.  daughter  cometh  with  the  sheep.     And  he  said,  Lo, 
it  is  yet  high  day,  neither  is  it  time  that  the  cattle  should 
be  gathered  together  1 :  °water  ye  the  sheep,  and  go  and 

8.  feed  them.     And  they    said,  We  cannot,  until  all  the 
flocks2  be  gathered  together,  and  they  roll  the  stone 
from   the   well's   mouth;    then   we   water   the   sheep. 

9.  While  he  yet  spake  with  them,  Rachel 3  came  with  her 

10.  father's  sheep;    for  she  kept  them.4    And  it  came  to 
pass,  when  Jacob  saw  Rachel  the  daughter  of  Laban 
his   mother's   brother,   and   the   sheep   of   Laban   his 
mother's  brother,  that  °Jacob  went  near,  and  rolled  the 
stone  from  the  well's  mouth,  and  watered  the  flock  of 

11.  Laban    his    mother's    brother.    And    ° Jacob    kissed 

12.  Rachel,  and  lifted  up  his  voice,  and  wept.     And  Jacob 
told  Rachel  that  he  was  °her  father's  brother,5  and  that 
he  was  Rebekah's  son :  and  she  ran  and  told  her  father.8 

13.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Laban  heard  the  tidings  7 

1  Vg.  adds,  unto  the  fold.  •  Sam.  Gr.  shepherds.  J  Gr.  the  daughter  of  Laban. 
4  Gr.  her  father's  sheep.  *  Tar.  sister's  son.  6  Gr.  adds,  according  to  these  words, 
i  Gr.  name. 

7.  Water  ye  the  sheep.  This  manifestation  of  interest  in  others' 
affairs  is  characteristically  oriental.  Jacob,  of  course,  did  not  con- 
sider the  stone  on  the  well,  if  he  noticed  it,  a  hindrance.  The  shep- 
herds explain  at  length,  glad  of  an  opportunity  to  gossip.  See  i 
Sam.  9  :  1 1  ff .  They  do  not  mention,  what  may  be  assumed,  that  they 
came  early  because  the  rule  was,  "  first  come  first  served." 

10.  Jacob  .  .  .  rolled  the  stone  from  the  well's  mouth.    This  dis- 
play of  strength  is  surprising  from  one  who  has  hitherto  been  portrayed 
as  chiefly  distinguished  for  cunning ;  but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 
the  writer  intends  to  represent  him  as  extraordinarily  strong.     See 
32  :  27  ff. 

11.  Jacob  kissed  Rachel,  .  .  .  and  wept;  thus  giving  vent  to  his 
emotions  on   finding   himself   at  the  end  of  his  journey  and  among 
relatives.     See  45  :  14  f.;  26  :  29. 

12.  Her  father's  brother.     See  v.  5. 

13.  The  scene  between  Laban  and  Jacob  is  a  repetition  of  that  be- 

217 


29  :  14  GENESIS 


of  Jacob  his  sister's  son,  that  he  °ran  to  meet  him,  and 
embraced  him,  and  kissed  him,  and  brought  him  to 
14.  his  house.  And  he  °told  Laban  all  these  things.  And 
Laban  said  to  him,  Surely  thou  art  my  bone  and 
my  flesh.  And  he  abode  with  him  °the  space  of  a 
month. 

E   15.       And  Laban  said  unto  Jacob,  Because  thou  art  my 
brother,  °shouldest  thou  therefore  serve  me  for  nought  ? 

16.  tell  me,  what  shall  thy  wages  be?     °And  Laban  had  two 
daughters:    the  name  of  the  elder  was  Leah,  and  the 

17.  name  of  the  younger  was  Rachel.     And  °Leah's  eyes 
were  tender1;    but  Rachel  was  °beautiful  and  well2 

1  Tar.  beautiful.      •  Gr.  very  well. 


tween  Laban  and  Abraham's  steward.  See  24  :  29.  Laban,  with 
his  usual  effusiveness,  ran  .  .  .  embraced  .  .  .  kissed.  The  last 
verb,  which  here  has  the  intensive  form,  might  be  freely  rendered 
covered  with  kisses.  By  the  things  that  Jacob  told  his  uncle  are  doubt- 
less meant  his  reasons  for  leaving  home  and  his  adventures  on  the 
way. 

14.  The  space  of  a  month,  a  well-marked  period  which  seems  to 
have  been  the  conventional  limit  of  such  visits.     See  24  :  55. 

(c)  Jacob  and  his  wives,  29  :  15-30.  At  the  end  of  the  month 
Laban  proposes  to  pay  Jacob  wages,  but  the  latter,  who  has  mean- 
while become  attached  to  Rachel,  offers  to  serve  seven  years  for  noth- 
ing, if  at  the  end  of  that  time  Laban  will  give  him  the  young  woman  in 
marriage.  Laban  accepts  the  offer,  and  Jacob  performs  his  part  of 
the  contract;  but,  when  the  wedding  occurs,  Laban  substitutes  the 
older  for  the  younger  daughter,  and  finally  gives  him  Rachel  also 
only  on  condition  that  he  serve  seven  years  longer.  The  paragraph 
is  mainly  from  the  Ephraimite  narrative,  with  brief  extracts  from  the 
other  two. 

15.  Shouldest  thou  serve  me  for  nought?  implies  that  during  the 
month  Jacob  had  made  himself  useful  to  Laban. 

16.  And  Laban,  etc.     Better,  Now  Laban,  etc. 

17.  Leah's  eyes  were  tender.    The  misfortune  from  which  she  was 
suffering  is  one  that  has  always  been  common  in  the  East,  where 
ophthalmia  is  epidemic  and  often  results  in  total  blindness.     Beautiful 
and  well  favoured ;  beautiful  in  form  and  feature. 

218 


GENESIS  29  :  25 

18.  favoured.    And  Jacob  loved  Rachel;  and  he  said,  I  will 
serve    thee    °seven    years    for    Rachel    thy    younger 

19.  daughter.     And  Laban  said,  °It  is  better  that  I  give 
her  to  thee,  than  that  I  should  give  her  to  another  man : 

20.  abide  with   me.     And  Jacob  served  seven  years  for 
Rachel ;    and  they  seemed  unto  him  but  a  few  days,  for 

21.  the  love  he  had  to  her.     And  Jacob  said  unto  Laban, 
°Give  me  my  wife,  for  1  my  days  *  are  fulfilled,  that  I 

22.  may  go  in  unto  her.     And  Laban  gathered  together 

23.  °all  the  men  of  the  place,  and  made  a  °feast.     And  it 
came  to  pass  in  the  evening,  that  he  °took  Leah  his 
daughter,  and  brought  her  to  him 2 ;    and  he 3  went  in 

24.  unto  her.  |  And  Laban  gave  °Zilpah  his  handmaid  unto   p 

25.  his  daughter  Leah  for  °an  handmaid.  |  And  it  came  E 

1  Tar.  the  days  of  my  service.      '  Gr.  Jacob.      3  Sam.  Jacob. 

18.  Seven  years.     Jacob's  offer  is  explained  by  the  oriental  custom 
which  required,  and  still  requires,  that  the  husband  purchase  his  wife 
from  her  father  or  other  relatives.     The  price  was  usually  a  sum  of 
money.     See  34  :  12  ;  Ex.  22  :  16.     Here,  however,  as  in  the  case  of 
Michal  (i  Sam.  18  :  25)  a  certain  kind  and  amount  of  service  is  sub- 
stituted for  it.     See  also  Josh.  15  :  16.    The  term  of  Jacob's  service 
indicates  the  value  set  upon  comely  girls.     In  Palestine  to-day  two 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars  is  not  considered  an  exorbitant  price,  and 
twice  as  much  is  sometimes  demanded. 

19.  It  is  better,  etc.    One  reason  was  that,  like  other  orientals,  he 
preferred  a  relative  for  a  son-in-law;  and  another,  doubtless,  that  he 
wished  to  retain  Jacob's  services. 

21.  Give  me  my  wife ;  the  woman  who,  according  to  agreement,  is 
now  to  become  my  wife. 

22.  All  the  men  of  the  place.     An  oriental  wedding  is  an  occasion 
for  unrestricted  hospitality.     In  ancient  times  the  feast  sometimes 
continued  a  week.     So,  according  to  v.  27,  it  did  in  this  case. 

23.  There  was  no  religious  ceremony,  but  in  the  evening  of  the  first 
day  Laban  took  his  daughter,  and  brought  her  veiled  to  Jacob  in  the 
tent  provided  for  the  young  couple. 

24.  Zilpah  is  here  introduced  from  the  Priestly  narrative  in  prepa- 
ration for  the  next  chapter.     See  30  :  4,  9.     An  handmaid.     Rebekah 
had  several.     See  24  :  61. 

219 


2p  :  26  GENESIS 

to  pass  in  the  morning,  that,  behold,  °it  was  Leah :  and 
he *  said  to  Laban,  °What  is  this  thou  hast  done  unto 
me?  did  not  I  serve  with  thee  for  Rachel?  wherefore 

j  26.  then  hast  thou  beguiled  me?  |  And  Laban  said,  °It  is  not 
so  done  in  our  place,  to  give  the  younger  before  the 

E  27.  firstborn.  |  Fulfil  °the  week  of  this  one,  and  °we2* 
will  give  thee  the  other  also  for  the  service  which  thou 

28.  shalt  serve  with  me  °yet  seven  other  years.     And  Jacob 
P          did  so,  and   fulfilled   her  week:  |  and  °he3  gave   him 

29.  Rachel   his   daughter   to   wife.     And   Laban   gave   to 
Rachel  his  daughter  Bilhah  his  handmaid  to  be  her 

E  30.  handmaid.  |  And  he  went  in  also  unto  Rachel,  and  he 
loved  also  *  Rachel  more  than  Leah,  and  served  with 
him  yet  seven  other  years. 

1  Gr.  Jacob.       »  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  /.       3  Gr.  Laban. 

25.  It  was  Leah.     It  was  so  dark  the  night  before  when  she  un- 
veiled that  Jacob  did  not  recognize  her.     What  is  this  thou  hast  done 
unto  me?     He  is  as  indignant  as  if  he  had  not  played  a  similar  trick 
upon  his  own  father. 

26.  It  is  not  so  done.     Laban  appeals  to  a  custom  still  in  vogue  in 
the  East,  which,  however,  he  had  no  scruples  about  agreeing  to  vio- 
late.   The  verse  is  assigned  to  the  Jahvist  on  account  of  the  peculiar 
phraseology. 

27.  The  week  of  this  one;    the  week  devoted  to  the  celebration 
of  Leah's  marriage.     We  will   give.     Better,   with   the   Samaritans 
and  the  Versions,  I  "will  give.     Yet  seven  other  years.    This  time, 
however,  as  appears  from  v.  28,  Jacob  is  to  receive  his  reward  in  ad- 
vance. 

28.  He  gave  him  Rachel.     In  early  times  custom  allowed  a  man 
to  have  two  wives,  even  when  they  were  sisters.    The  idea  was  so 
little  abhorrent  to  the  Hebrews  of  the  later  prophetic  period  that  both 
Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel  introduce  it  into  their  prophecies  to  illustrate 
the  relation  between  Yahweh  and  the  kingdoms  of  Judah  and  Israel. 
Finally,  however,  in  spite  of  the  example  of  the  patriarch,  it  became 
unlawful  to  "  take  a  woman  to  her  sister,  beside  the  other,  in  her  life- 
time."    See  Lev.   18  :  18. 

(d)  The  children  of  Jacob,  29  :  31-30  :  24.      Jacob  first  has  four 
children  by  Leah,  then  two  by  each  of  the  maids  Bilhah  and  Zilpah 

220 


GENESIS  29  :  35 


31.  And  the  LORD  saw  that  °Leah  was  hated,  and  he  j 

32.  °opened  her  womb:    but  Rachel  was  barren.    And 
Leah  conceived,  and  bare  a  son,1  and  she  called  his 
name  °Reuben:   for  she  said,  Because  the  LORD  °hath 
looked  upon  my  affliction;    for  now  my  husband  will 

33.  love  me.     And  she  conceived  again,  and  bare  a2  son3; 
and  said,  Because  the  LORD°  hath  heard  that  I  am  hated, 
he  hath  therefore  given  me  this  son  also :  and  she  called 

34.  his  name  Simeon.    And  she  conceived  again,  and  bare 
a  son;    and  said,  Now  this  time  °will  my  husband  be 
joined  unto  me,  because  I  have  borne  him  three  sons : 

35.  therefore  *4  was  his  name  called  4f  °Levi.   And  she  con- 
ceived again,  and  bare  a  son:   and  she  said,  This  time 


1  Gr.  adds,  unto  Jacob,       *  Gr.  a  second.       3  Gr.  adds,  to  Jacob.      *  Sam.   Gr. 
Vg.  Syr.  she  called  his  name. 


in  order,  and  two  more  by  Leah.  Finally  Rachel  gives  birth  to  Joseph. 
The  paragraph  was  evidently  compiled  from  the  Judean  and  Ephraim- 
ite  sources,  but  the  analysis  is  uncertain. 

31.  Leah  was  hated ;  not  in  the  absolute,  but  in  the  relative  sense. 
Jacob  loved  her  less  than  he  did  Rachel.     See  v.  30;    Dt.  21  :  15. 
To  compensate  her  for  this  lack  Yahweh  opened  her  womb,  gave  her 
children. 

32.  The  names  given  to  the  sons  of  Jacob  are  all  represented  as 
especially  significant.    The  explanations  attached  to  them,  however, 
must  not  be  taken  literally.     Like  most  of  those  that  have  preceded, 
they  simply  illustrate  the  fondness  of  the  Hebrews  for  alliteration,  and 
therefore  have  no  etymological  value.    Thus,  Reuben  (Heb.  R&'ubhen), 
the  name  of  Leah's  firstborn,  does  not  mean  hath  looked  upon  my 
affliction ;   it   merely  rhymes  to  some  extent  with  Ra'ah  bheoni,  the 
Hebrew  for  that  sentiment. 

33.  In  the  second  case  the  resemblance  is  closer,  the  Hebrew  for 
hath  heard  being  shama',  and  for  Simeon,  Shim' on;  but  it  is  doubt- 
ful if  the  latter  is  derived  from  the  former. 

34.  It  is  equally  uncertain  whether  there  is   any  real  connection 
between  the  verb  lawah  in  the  expression,  will  my  husband  be  joined 
(yillaweh)  unto  me,  and  Lewi,  the  Hebrew  form  of  the  name  Levi. 
In  the  last  clause  the  form  of  the  expression  should  be  she  called  his 
name,  as  it  is  in  the  Samaritan  text  and  the  Versions. 


30  :  I  GENESIS 


°will  I  praise  the  LORD:   therefore  she  called  his  name 

E  30.  °Judah :    and  she   left l  bearing.  |  And  when  Rachel 

saw  that  she  bare  Jacob  no  children,  Rachel  envied  her 

sister;   and  she  said  unto  Jacob,  Give  me  children,  or 

2.  °else  I  die.    And  Jacob's  anger  was  kindled  against 
Rachel:   and  he  said,  Am  I  in  God's  stead,  °who  hath 

3.  withheld  from  thee  the  fruit  of  the  womb?     And  she 
said,  °Behold  my  maid  Bilhah,  go  in  unto  her;  °that 

J  she  may  bear  2  upon  my  knees,2  |  and  I  also  may  °ob- 

4.  tain  children  by  her.     And  she  gave  him  Bilhah  her 

5.  handmaid  to  wife:  and  Jacob  went  in  unto  her.  And 
E     6.  Bilhah 3  conceived,  and  bare  Jacob  a  son.  |  And  Rachel 

said,  God  °hath  judged  me,  and  hath  also  heard  my 

voice,  and  hath  given  me  a  son:    therefore  called  she 

J     7.   his  name  °Dan.  |  And  Bilhah  Rachel's  handmaid  con- 

E     8.   ceived  again,   and   bare   Jacob   a  second  son.  |  And 


SV  adds,  off,      x  Tar.  and  I  may  rear.      *  Gr.  adds,  Rachel's  maid. 


35.  In  like  manner  'odheh,  will  I  praise,  may  be  suggested  by,  but 
it  does  not  explain  Yehudhah,  the  Hebrew  form  of  Judah.  See  49  :  8, 
where  Judah,  and  not  Yahweh,  is  the  object  of  praise.  The  original 
meaning  of  the  name  is  unknown. 

30 :  i.  Else  I  die.  To  be  denied  children  was  the  saddest  misfortune 
that  could  befall  a  Hebrew  woman.  See  i  Sam.  9  :  10  f. 

2.  Who  hath  withheld  from  thee,  and  who  alone  can  bestow  upon 
thee,  the  fruit  of  the  womb.    Compare  50  :  19. 

3.  Behold  my  maid  Bilhah.     She  resorts  to  the  same  expedient 
adopted  by  Sarah  to  obtain  children.     See  16  :  2.     That  she  may  bear 
upon  my  knees.    The  act  of  holding  a  woman  in  childbirth  on  one's 
knees  was  regarded  as  equivalent  to  the  adoption  of  the  child  thus 
brought  into  the  world.    The  same  form  of  words  is  used  when  the 
adoptive  parent  is  a  man.     See  50  :  23.     Obtain  children ;    lit.  be 
built  up,  as  in  16  :  2. 

6.  The  name  of  Rachel's  first  son  by  Bilhah,  Dan,  which  exactly 
reproduces  the  Hebrew  of  hath  judged,  is  virtually  the  equivalent  of 
Daniel,  the  meaning  of  which  is  God  is  my  Judge.  The  name,  how- 
ever, is  much  older  than  the  explanation  here  given. 

222 


GENESIS  30  :  14 


Rachel  said,  1  With  °mighty  wrestlings  have  I  wrestled 

with1  my  sister,  and  have  prevailed:    and  she  called 

9.   his  name  °Naphtali.      When  Leah  saw  that  she  had  J 

left 2  bearing,  she  took  Zilpah  her  handmaid,  and  gave 

10.  her  to  Jacob  to  wife.3    And  Zilpah  Leah's  handmaid 4 

1 1 .  bare  Jacob  a  son.    And  Leah  said,  °Fortunate 5 !   and 

12.  she  called  his  name  °Gad.    And  Zilpah  Leah's  hand- 

13.  maid 8  bare   Jacob   a   second   son.    And   Leah   said, 
°Happy  am  I !  for  °the  daughters  will  call  me  happy :  and 

14.  she  called  his  name  °Asher.    And  Reuben  went  in  °the 

1  Gr.  God  helped  me  and  I  struggled  with;  Vg.  God  matched  me  with;  Syr.  /  sought 
of  the  Lord  and  besought.  *  SV  adds,  off.  3  Gr.  adds,  And  Jacob  went  in  unto  her. 
*  Gr.  Vg.  add,  conceived  and.  $  Gr.  In  fortune;  Vg.  happily;  Syr.  my  fortune  hath 
come.  6  Gr.  adds,  conceived  and. 

8.  Mighty  wrestlings ;  lit.  wrestlings  (naphtulim)  of  God.  It  is 
these  struggles  to  which  the  writer,  in  this  case,  apparently,  the  Ephra- 
imite,  finds  an  allusion  in  the  name  Naphtali,  the  original  meaning  of 
which  is  unknown. 

10.  The  Greek  Version  prefixes  to  this  verse  And  Jacob  went  in 
unto  her,  and  inserts  after  handmaid  conceived  and,  as  in  v.  5  f.;   but 
these  additions  may  well  be  only  corrections. 

11.  Fortunate.    This  rendering,  which  follows  the  Greek  Version, 
is  probably  correct.    The  Jewish  scribes,  however,  by  a  change  of 
pronunciation,  have  transformed  By  good  fortune  I  into  Good  fortune 
hath  come!  which  is  substantially  the  rendering  of  the  Syriac  Ver- 
sion.    It  is  her  good  fortune  (gadh)  which  Leah  celebrates  by  naming 
this  her  fifth  son  Gad  (Heb.  Gadh).    The  name  is  probably  that  of  the 
Phoenician  god  of  fortune.     See  Is.  65  :  11. 

13.  There  is  a  precisely  similar  relation  between  the  exclamation 
with  which  she  greets  Zilpah's  second  son,  Happy  am  I !   lit.   In  my 
happiness  ('osher),  and  the  name,  Asher,  by  which  she  calls  him.     Per- 
haps there  is  a  second  explanation  from  another  source  in  the  daugh- 
ters will  call  me  happy   (Heb.    'isshgruni).     See,   however,   21  :  6. 
This  name  was  applied  to  western  Galilee  as  early  as  1400  B.C. 

14.  The  days  of  wheat  harvest;   which  is  early  in  the  summer, 
from  the  middle  of  May  or  the  first  of  June  onward.     The  women  go 
into  the  field  with  the  men  and  take  their  children  with  them.     See 
2  Kgs.  4  :  18.    Thus  Leah  took  with  her  Reuben,  who,  while  he  was 
playing  about,  found  a  number  of  bright,  soft  balls,  of  an  orange  color 
and  a  pleasant  odor,  about  the  size  of  a  small  round  tomato,  which 

223 


30  :  15  GENESIS 


days  of  wheat  harvest,  and  found  °mandrakes  in 
the  field,  and  brought  them  unto  his  mother  Leah. 
Then  Rachel  said  to  Leah,  °Give  me,  I  pray  thee,  of 

15.  thy  son's  mandrakes.    And  she l  said  unto  her,  Is  it  2a 
small  matter2  that  °thou  hast  taken  away  my  husband? 
and  wouldest  thou  take  away  my  son's  mandrakes 
also  ?    And  Rachel  said,  °Therefore 3  he  shall  lie  with 

16.  thee  to-night  for  thy  son's  mandrakes.    And  Jacob  came 
from  the  field  in  the  evening,  and  Leah  went  out  to 
meet  him,  and  said,  °Thou  must  come  in  unto  me 4 ;  for 
I  have  surely  hired  thee  with  my  son's  mandrakes. 

E   17.  And  he  lay  with  her  that  night.  |  And  God  hearkened 
unto  Leah,  and  she  conceived,  and  bare  Jacob  a  fifth 

18.  son.    And  Leah  said,  °God  hath  given  me  my  hire, 
because  °I  gave  my  handmaid  to  my  husband:    and 

19.  she  called  his  name  °Issachar.5    And  Leah  conceived 

*  Gr.  Syr.  Leah.  •  Gr.  Syr.  not  enough.  3  Gr.  Not  so.  *  Sam.  Gr.  add.  to-night. 
s  Gr.  adds,  which  is  hire. 

proved  to  be  mandrakes.  Give  me  of  thy  son's  mandrakes.  Rachel's 
eagerness  is  explained  by  the  fact  that  then,  as  now,  in  the  Orient  the 
mandrake  was  believed  to  be  a  cure  for  barrenness. 

15.  Thou  hast  taken  away  my  husband  does  not  imply  that  Jacob 
had  deserted  Leah,  but  that  he  was  treating  her  with  comparative 
neglect.     Therefore  here,  as  in  4  :  15,  has  about  the  force  of  Well, 
then,  conceding  an  objection  and  introducing  a  new  proposal. 

16.  Thou  must  come  in  unto  me.     Add,  with  the  Samaritans  and 
the  Greek  Version,  to-night.    Observe  that  nowhere  in  this  episode  is 
there  the  slightest  hint  that  either  of  the  sisters  was  prompted  by  any 
other   motive  than   the  oriental  woman's  desire  for  children,  and 
many  of  them. 

18.  God  hath  given  me  my  hire.  The  significant  word  is  hire 
(Heb.  Sakhar}.  It  is  one  of  the  components  of  the  name  Issachar, 
which  is  capable  of  two  or  three  interpretations.  The  choice  seems  to 
be  between  There  is  hire  and  Man  of  hire.  I  gave  my  handmaid  to  my 
husband.  The  Judean  writer  would  have  said,  perhaps  did  say,  / 
gave  my  mandrakes  to  my  sister. 

20.  There  are  two  distinct  cases  of  paronomasia  in  this  verse.  The 
224 


GENESIS  30  :  24 

20.  again,   and   bare  a  sixth  son  to   Jacob.    And  Leah 
said,  °God  hath  endowed  me  with  a  good  dowry;  | 
°now  will  my  husband  dwell  with  me,  because  I  have  J 
borne  him  six  sons:  |  and  she  called  his  name  °Zebu-  E 

21.  lun.  |  And  afterwards  she  bare  a  daughter,  and  called  J 

22.  her  name  °Dinah.  |  And  God  remembered  Rachel,  |   P 
and  God  hearkened  to  her,  |  and  opened  her  womb.   E,  J 

23.  And  she  conceived, and  bare1  a  son:    and  said,  °God  E 

24.  hath  taken  away  my  reproach:  |  and  she  called  his   J 
name  Joseph,  saying,  °2  The  LORD  2  add  to  me  another 
son. 

1  Gr.  adds,  to  Jacob.      *  Gr.  Syr.  God. 

first  is  found  in  the  declaration,  God  hath  endowed  (zabhadh)  me  with 
a  good  dowry  (zebhedh)\  the  second  in  the  following  clause,  which, 
however,  should  be  rendered,  now  will  my  husband  honor  (zabhat) 
me.  The  latter  is  the  better,  but  in  the  first  the  Hebrew  reader  easily 
caught  the  allusion  to  Zebulun  (Heb.  zebhulun).  The  original  mean- 
ing of  the  name  is  doubtful. 

21.  No  attempt  is  made  to  explain  the  name  of  Leah's  seventh 
child  and  Jacob's  only  daughter,  Dinah,  the  obvious  meaning  of  which 
is  Judgment. 

22.  The  threefold  statement  of  essentially  the  same  fact  indicates 
that  here  the  compiler  drew  upon  all  three  of  the  sources  at  his  dis- 
posal. 

23.  Here,  again,  is  a  double  play  upon  the  name  given.    One  au- 
thority makes  Rachel  say,  God  hath  taken  away  ('asaph)  my  reproach, 
the  other,  The  LORD  add  (yasapti)  to  me  another  son.    The  name,  the 
original  form  of  which,  according  to  the  testimony  of  Egyptian  and 
Assyrian  inscriptions,  was  Yoseph-el,  means  May  he  (God)  increase. 

The  amount  of  direct  information  contained  in  this  paragraph  is 
small,  but  it  is  a  good  illustration  of  the  literary  skill  of  the  earlier 
Hebrew  writers  and  furnishes  interesting  glimpses  of  the  life  of  the 
period  in  which  it  originated.  Note  especially  the  prominence  of 
the  thought  of  God  and  his  providence. 

(e)  The  shepherd's  wages,  30  :  25-43.  After  the  birth  of  Joseph 
Jacob  proposes  to  return  to  Canaan ;  but  Laban  urges  him  to  remain, 
and  he  finally  offers  to  do  so  if  his  father-in-law  will  give  him  the 
speckled  and  spotted  among  the  goats  and  the  black  among  the  sheep 
for  his  services.  Laban  promptly  accepts  these  terms,  but  Jacob  con- 
Q  225 


30  :  25  GENESIS 

j  25.  And  it  came  to  pass,  °when  Rachel  had  borne  Joseph, 
that  Jacob  said  unto  Laban,  Send  me  away,  that  I  may 

E  26.  go  unto  mine  own  place,  and  to  my  country.  |  Give  me 
my  wives  and  my  children  °for  whom  I  have  served 
thee,  and  let  me  go :  for  thou  knowest ,  my  service 

J  27.  wherewith  I  have  served  thee.  |  And  Laban  said  unto 
him,  °If  now  I  have  found  favour  in  thine  eyes,  °tarry: 
for  °I  have  divined  that  1  the  LORD  1  hath  blessed  me 

E   28.  2  for  thy  sake.2  |  And  he  said,  Appoint  me  thy  °wages, 

j  29.  and  I  will  give  it.  |  And  he  said  unto  him,  Thou  know- 
30.  est  how  I  have  served  thee,  and  how  thy  cattle  hath 
fared  with  me.  For  it  was  little  which  thou  hadst  before 
I  came,  and  it  hath  increased  unto  a  multitude ;  and  the 
LORD  hath  blessed  thee  whithersoever  I  turned:  and 
now  °when  shall  I  provide  for  mine  own  house  also? 

1  Gr.  Syr.  God.      *  Gr.  through  thy  visit. 

trives  to  increase  the  number  of  party-colored  young  to  such  an 
extent  that  he  himself  has  large  possessions.  The  paragraph  is  largely 
from  J,  but  there  are  fragments  from  E  interwoven  with  it. 

25.  When  Rachel  had  borne  Joseph.     At  this  time,  according  to 
26  :  34,  Jacob  was  not  less  than  fifty-four  years  of  age. 

26.  For  whom  I  have  served  thee.     Strictly  speaking,  he  had  not 
served  for  his  children,  but  he  could  hardly  have  omitted  to  mention 
them.     He  should,  however,  have  said,  Give  we  my  wives  for  whom 
I  have  served  thee,  and  my  children. 

27.  Here,  as  in  35  :  15,  If  now  I  have  found  favour  in  thine  eyes,  is 
a  polite  demurrer,  about  equal  to  Nay,  my  lord.    The  addition  of 
tarry:    for  is  therefore  unnecessary.     If  anything  is  to  be  supplied, 
it  should  be  go  not :  for.      I  have  divined ;    not  in  the  sense  of  con- 
jecturing, but  in  that  of  discovering  by  divination.     Just  what  form 
of  this  art  he  used  cannot  be  determined.     Perhaps,  like  Joseph,  he 
had  a  divining-cup.     See  44  :  5;    also  i  Sam.  14  :  41  f. 

28.  The  introduction  of  the  subject  of  wages  at  this  point  is  un- 
natural, which  indicates  that  the  verse  is  a  fragment  from  the  Ephra- 
imite  narrative.     See  v.  3ia. 

30.    When  shall  I  provide  for  mine  own  house  also  ?    The  question 
implies  willingness  to  consider  a  reasonable  offer. 

226 


GENESIS  30  :  33 


31.  And  he  said,  °What  shall  I  give  thee?     And  Jacob  said, 
°Thou  shalt  not  give  me  aught:    if  thou  wilt  do  this 
thing  for  me,  I  will  again  feed  thy  flock  *  and  1  keep  it.f 

32.  °*2 1  will  |  pass  2  through  all  thy  flock  to-day,  removing 3 
from  thence  *4  every  speckled  and  spotted  one,  and  4f 
°every  black  one  among  the  sheep,  and  the  spotted  and 
speckled  among  the  goats :  and  °of  such  shall  be  my  hire. 

33.  °So  shall  my  righteousness  answer  for  me  hereafter, 
5  when  thou  shalt  come  concerning  my  hire  that  is5 


1  SoGr.  Vg.  Syr.;  Heb.  om.  '  Gr.  Let  one  pass;  Vg.  Go  round.  3  Syr.  adds,  for 
me.  «Gr.  om.  *  Sam.  when  there  cometh,  etc. ;  Gr.  that  my  hire  is;  Vg.  when  the 
proper  time  has  come. 

31.  What  shall  I  give  thee?     Laban  is  too  shrewd  to  betray  his 
eagerness  by  a  definite  offer.     Thou  shalt  not  give  me  aught.    The 
promptness  of  the  reply  indicates  that  Jacob  has  anticipated  the 
attempt  of  his  father-in-law  to  retain  his  services. 

32.  I  will  pass  through  .  .  .  removing.    The  text,  which  is  un- 
doubtedly  corrupt,    should   probably    read,  pass   through  .  .  .  and 
remove.     Jacob  must  be  supposed  to  know  that  Laban  would  not 
trust  him  to  make  the  separation.    The  description  of  the  sheep  must 
also  be  corrected ;   for,  according  to  v.  33,  there  are  not  three  classes 
of  sheep,  speckled,  and  spotted,  and  black,  but  one,  the  black.     Read, 
therefore,  only  every  black   one   among  the   sheep,  and  the  spotted 
and,  better,  or,  speckled  among  the  goats.     Of  such  shall  be  my  hire ; 
i.e.,  as  will  appear  in  the  sequel,  all  the  black  lambs  and  the  speckled 
or  spotted  kids  that  are  born  after  the  separation.    This  seems  a 
modest  demand,  since  there  would  naturally  be  few,  if  any,  of  the 
colors  described  dropped  after  the  current  season. 

33.  The  removal  of  the  party-colored  animals  is  so  important  that 
Jacob  dwells  on  it ;    but  the  re'ndering  So  shall  my  righteousness  an- 
swer for  me  does  not  do  justice  to  his   argument.     What  he  says  is, 
So  shall  my  alleged  or  pretended   righteousness  (Is.  64  :  6(5)  testify 
against  me,  prove  my  condemnation.     See  Ex.   20  :  16.    The  next 
clause  must  be  interpreted  in  harmony  with  the  foregoing.     Read, 
therefore,  without  any  change  in  the  original,  but  with  the  omission 
of  the  words  that  is,  for  which  the  Hebrew  has  no  equivalent,  when  it, 
the  said  righteousness,  cometh  concerning  my  hire  before  thee ;    i.e., 
when  I  attempt  to  show  that  I  have  taken  no  more  than  my  due. 
In  the  latter  half  of  the  verse  the  same  thought  is  put  concretely. 
Jacob  points  out  that,  under  the  new  arrangement,  since  he  can  claim 

227 


30  :  34  GENESIS 

before  thee :   °every  one  that  is  not  speckled  and  spotted 
among  the  goats,  and  black  among  the  sheep,  that  if 

34.  found  °with  me  shall  °be  counted  stolen.     And  Laban 
said,  *  Behold,  °I  would  it  might  be  1  according  to  thy 

35.  word.     And  he  removed  °that  day  the  he-goats2  that 
were  °ringstraked  3*  and  spotted,  and  all  the  she-goats  4 
that  were  speckled  and  spotted,5  °every  one  that  had 
white  in  it,  and  all  the  black  ones  among  the  sheep,8 

36.  and  °gave  them  into  the  hand  of  his  sons:    and  °he 
set  three  days'  journey  betwixt  himself  7*  and  Jacob  8 : 

1  Sam.  And  behold,  it  shall  not  be,  *  Vg.  she-goals  and  sheep.  s  SV  ring- 
streaked.  *  Vg.  he-goats  and  rams.  *  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  add,  and.  6  Gr.  transposes 
the  clauses.  »  Sam.  Gr.  them.  •  Syr.  Laban. 

only  the  speckled  and  spotted  kids  and  the  black  lambs,  every  one  that 
is  not  speckled  and  (or)  spotted  among  the  goats,  and  every  one  that 
is  not  black  among  the  sheep  in  the  private  flock  which  it  will  be 
necessary  for  him  to  form,  may  justly  be  counted  stolen  and  seized 
as  such  when  found  in  his  possession  (with  me). 

34.  Laban,  satisfied  on  this  point,  and  not  suspecting  there  was 
any  other  way  of  cheating  him,  gladly  accepts  Jacob's  terms :  I  would 
it  might  be  according  to  thy  word. 

35.  That  day;    without  delay,  so  confident  was  he  that  he  had 
made  a  good  bargain.     Ringstraked  is  here  probably  an  error  for 
speckled.     See   31:8.     Every   one;    every   goat.     Gave   them   into 
the  hand,  keeping,  of  his  sons.     Thus  there  were  left  in  the  flock  be- 
longing to  Laban,  which  was  in  charge  of  Jacob,  only  animals  of  the 
normal  colors,  viz.,  black  goats  and  white  sheep. 

36.  He  set  three  days'  journey  betwixt  himself,  better,  them,  re- 
ferring to  his  sons,  and  Jacob,  to  make  sure  that  the  two  flocks  should 
not   mingle.    This  precaution   afterward   proved   an   advantage  to 
Jacob.     See  31  :  22.     For  flocks  the  Hebrew  has  flock,  but  the  writer 
means  sheep  and  goats,  small  cattle.    The  Samaritans  insert  here 
31  :  11-13,  adapted  to  the  connection  as  follows:    And  the  angel  of 
God  spake  unto  Jacob  in  a  dream,  and  said,  Jacob;  and  he  said,  Here 
am  I.     And  he  said,  Lift  up  now  thine  eyes,  and  see,  all  the  he-goats 
which  leap  upon  the  flock  are  ringstraked,  speckled,  and  gristed :  for 
I  have  seen  all  that  Laban  doeth  unto  thee.     I  am  the  God  of  Beth-el, 
where  thou  anointedst  a  pillar,  and  where  thou  vowed st  a  vow  unto  me: 
and  now  arise,  get  thee  out  from  this  land,  and  return  unto  the  land  of 
thy  father,  and  I  will  do  thee  good.    There  must,  of  course,  have  been  an 

228 


GENESIS  30  : 40 

37.  and  Jacob  fed  the  rest  of  Laban's  °flocks.     And  Jacob 
took  him  °rods  of  fresh  poplar,1  and  of  °the  almond  and 
of  °the  plane  tree :  and  °peeled  white  strakes 2  in  them,3 
and  °made  the  white  appear  which  was  in  the  rods. 

38.  And  he  set  the  rods  which  he  had  peeled  over  against 
the  flocks  in  the  °gutters  *  in  the  °watering  troughs  where 
the  flocks  came  to  drink  f ;   and  °they  conceived  when 

39.  they   came   to   drink.     *And    °the   flocks   conceived  t 
before  the  rods,  and  the  flocks  brought  forth   °ring- 

40.  straked,4*   °speckled,  and  spotted.     And  Jacob  sepa- 
rated 5the  °lambs,5  |   °and  6set  the  faces  of  the  flocks  R 
toward  the  ringstraked  6  |  and  °7  all  the  black  in  the  J 

1  m.  styrax  tree.  *  SV  streaks.  3  Gr.  adds,  stripping  of  the  green.  •*  SV  ring- 
streaked;  Gr.  Vg.  add,  and;  Syr.  lambs.  s  Vg.  the  flock;  Syr.  om.  6  Sam.  Gr. 
placed  before  the  sheep  a  ringstraked  ram;  Vg.  placed  the  rods  in  the  gutters  before 
the  eyes  of  the  rams;  Syr.  placed  before  the  sheep  lambs  speckled  and  spotted.  ^  Gr. 
every  spotted  one  among  the  lambs;  Vg.  the  -white  and  the  black  were  both  Laban's. 

earlier  reference  to  Jacob's  dream,  but  this  one  was  evidently  supplied 
from  31  :  ii  ff. 

37.  The  odds  were  clearly  against  Jacob  ;  yet  he  prospered.    The 
secret  of  his  prosperity,  according  to  the  Judean  writer,  was  the  use  of 
rods  of  different  woods  by  which  he  controlled  the  color  of  the  young 
of  Laban's  flock.     Rods  of  fresh  poplar;  more  correctly  afresh  rod  of 
poplar.    The  particular  species,  according  to  Tristram,  was  Populus 
euphratica.     He  took  one  also  from  each  of  two  other  trees,  the  al- 
mond, and  the  plane  tree.    The  latter,  Platanus  orientalis,  annually 
sheds  its  outer  bark.     Peeled  white  strakes;   peeled  away  the  bark 
and  thus,  as  is  explained,  made  the  white  wood  of  the  rods  appear. 

38.  The  word  rendered  gutters  is  a  rare  one,  but  it  is  clear  from 
Ex.  2  :  1 6  that  it  means  watering  troughs,  and  an  obliging  reader  or 
editor  has  so  explained  it.     If  this  gloss  be  omitted,  it  will  not  be  neces- 
sary to  transpose  the  context  as  the  translators  have  done.    The 
original  read,  in  the  gutters  over  against  the  flocks.     They  conceived ; 
more  correctly,  they  rutted. 

39.  Here  again  the  flocks  are  the  small  cattle  belonging  to  Laban  in 
charge  of  Jacob.    Ringstraked  seems  to  be  a  gloss  borrowed  from  31:8. 
Speckled,  and  spotted.   The  writer  here  has  in  mind  especially  the  kids. 

40.  In  this  verse  he  makes  amends  by  directing  especial  attention 
to  the  lambs,  and  describing  them  in  a  following  clause  which  should 
be  rendered  even  every  black  one  in  the  flock  of  Laban.    The  ancients 

229 


30  :  4i  GENESIS 


flock  of  Laban  7 :    and  °he  put  his  own  droves  apart, 

41.  and  put  them  not  unto  Laban's  flock.     And  1  it  came 
to  pass,1   2  whensoever  °the  stronger  of  the  flock  did 
conceive,2  that  Jacob  laid  the  rods  before  the  eyes  of 
the  flock  in  the  gutters,  that  they  might  conceive  among 

42.  the  rods;  but  when  the  flock  3  were  feeble,3  he  put  them 
not  in :  so  °the  feebler  4  were  Laban's  and  the  stronger  5 

43.  Jacob's.     And  the  man  increased  exceedingly,  and  had 
large  flocks,6  and  maidservants  and  menservants,  and 
camels  and  asses. 


'Syr.  every  year.  *  Gr.  -when  the  sheep  rutted,  conceiving;  Vg.  Syr.  when  the 
sheep  rutted  early.  3  Gr.  bore;  Vg.  Syr.  were  late.  *  Gr.  unmarked;  Vg.  Syr. 
late.  s  Gr.  spotted;  Vg.  Syr.  early.  6  Gr.  adds,  and  herds. 

generally  believed  that  variations  in  the  young  of  mankind  as  well  as 
animals  could  be  produced  by  such  means  as  Jacob  is  said  to  have 
employed.  See  Dillmann.  The  Rabbis  illustrate  this  passage  as 
follows :  "  There  was  once  a  negro  who  had  for  a  wife  a  negress.  She 
bore  him  a  white  son.  The  father  took  the  child  and  went  to  a  Rabbi 
and  s,aid,  'I  fear  this  is  not  my  son.'  The  Rabbi  asked  him,  'Have 
you  pictures  in  your  house?  '  '  Yes.'  '  Are  they  black  or  white?  ' 
'White.'  'That,'  said  the  Rabbi,  'is  the  reason  why  you  have  a 
white  son.' "  Delitzsch  is  authority  for  the  statement  that  similar 
means  are  still  used  to  influence  the  color  of  the  young  of  sheep 
and  other  animals.  The  clause  and  set  ...  ringstraked  is  utterly 
inconsistent  with  the  context  and  unintelligible.  He  (Jacob)  put  his 
own  droves,  better,  formed  droves  of  his  own,  apart,  consisting  of  the 
animals  that  had  fallen  to  him,  and  put  them  not  unto,  left  them  not 
in,  Laban's  flock. 

41.  The  stronger.    The  Vulgate  and  the  Syrian  Versions  make  it 
the  earlier  of  the  animals  before  which  Jacob  put  the  rods.     In  either 
case  the  idea  is  that  Jacob  made  the  most  of  the  device  that  he  had 
adopted. 

42.  The  feebler ;  according  to  the  versions  just  cited,  the  later. 
This  is  the  earliest  version  of  the  story  of  Jacob's  rise  to  wealth.     It 

doubtless  greatly  amused  those  for  whom  it  was  written.  There  came 
a  time,  however,  when  the  Hebrews,  or  the  best  of  them,  ceased  to 
find  even  successful  rascality  amusing.  Then  the  story  was  recast. 
For  an  idea  of  the  new  version,  see  the  next  chapter. 

(f)  Flight  from  Haran,  31  :  1-21.  Jacob,  being  advised  of  a 
change  in  Laban's  attitude  toward  him,  and  commanded  by  Yahweh 

230 


GENESIS 

31.  And  he  1  heard  °the  words  of  Laban's  sons,  saying, 
Jacob  hath  taken  away  all  that  was  our  father's;  and 
of  that  which  was  our  father's  hath  he  gotten  °all  this 

2.  glory.2  |  And  Jacob  beheld  °the  countenance  of  Laban, 
and,  behold,  it  was  not  toward  him  as  beforetime.  | 

3.  And  the  LORD  said  unto  Jacob,  Return  unto  °the  land 
of  thy  fathers,  and  to  thy  kindred;   and  I  will  be  with 

4.  thee.  |  And  Jacob  sent  and  called  °Rachel  and  Leah  to 

5.  the  field  unto  his  flock,  and  said  unto  them,  I  see  your 
father's  countenance,  that  it  is  not  toward  me  as  be- 
foretime;   but  the  God  of  my  father  hath   been  with 

6.  me.     And  ye  know  that  °with  all  my  power  I  have 

7.  served  your  father.    And  °your  father  hath    deceived 
me,  and  °changed  my  wages  ten  times3;    but  °God  4 

1  Gr.  Syr.  Jacob.      '  m.  wealth.      3  Gr.  lambs.      •*  Sam.  the  Lord. 


to  return  to  his  own  country,  calls  his  wives  into  the  field,  where  he 
first  reminds  them  of  the  injustice  he  has  suffered  from  their  father 
and  then  acquaints  them  with  the  divine  command.  Finding  that 
they  sympathize  with  him,  he  gathers  together  his  family  and  pos- 
sessions and  takes  advantage  of  Laban's  absence  from  home  to  depart 
for  Canaan.  The  paragraph  is  almost  entirely  taken  from  the  Ephra- 
imite  narrative. 

1.  The  words  of  Laban's  sons;  sayings  reported  to  him.     All  this 
glory.     Better,  as  in  the  margin,  all  this  wealth. 

2.  The  Ephraimite  author  gives  a  different  reason  for  Jacob's 
uneasiness,  viz.,  that  the  countenance  of  Laban  was  not  toward  him 
as  beforetime;   he  was  no  longer  as  friendly  as  he  had  been. 

3.  The  land  of  thy  fathers  is  an  appeal  to  Jacob's  loyalty  to  his 
family. 

4.  Rachel  and  Leah.     So  also  v.  14.     In  33  :  i  ( J)  Leah  and  Rachel. 

6.  With  all  my  power.    Thus,  according  to  E,  Jacob  is  a  model  of 
faithfulness. 

7.  Your  father  hath  deceived  me ;    when  he  substituted  Leah  for 
Rachel.     See   29  :  23.    The  complaint   implies  that   Jacob   himself 
is  guiltless  of  any  such  fault.     Changed  my  wages  ten  times;   i.e., 
many  times.    There  is  no  hint  of  such  changes  in  the  Judean  narra- 
tive.    God  suffered  him  not  to  hurt  me.     In  the  preceding  chapter  it 

231 


3i  :  8  GENESIS 


8.  suffered  him  not  to  hurt  me.     If  he  said  thus,  °The 
speckled  shall  be  thy  wages;    then  °all  the  flock  bare 
speckled :  and  if  he  said  thus,  the  ringstraked  1  shall  be 

9.  thy  wages;  then  bare  all  the  flock  ringstraked.1     Thus 
°God 2  hath  taken  away  3  the  cattle 3  of  your  father,  and 

R  10.  given  them  to  me.  |  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  time 
that  the  flock  conceived,  that  I  lifted  up  mine  eyes,  and 
saw  *  in  a  dream,t  and,  behold,  the  he-goats  4  which 
leaped  upon  the  flock5  were  °ringstraked,  speckled, 

E  ii.  and  grisled.8  |  And  the  angel  of  God  said  unto  me  °in 
12.  the  dream,  Jacob:  and  I  said,  Here  am  I.  And  he 

R  said,  |  Lift  up  now  thine  eyes,  and  see,  all  the  he-goats  4 
which  leap  upon  the  flock5  are  ringstraked,  speckled, 
and  grisled :  for  I  have  seen  all  that  Laban  doeth  unto 

E   13.   thee.  |  I  am  °the  God  of  7  Beth-el,  where  thou  anoint- 

1  Gr.  while.  *  Sam.  the  Lord.  3  Gr.  all  the  cattle.  *  Gr.  adds,  and  the  rams. 
s  Gr.  the  ewes  and  the  she-goats.  6  SV  grizzled.  ^  Gr.  Tar.  who  appeared  to 
thee  in. 

was  Laban  who  appealed  to  the  reader's  sympathy.     Jacob  neither 
needed  nor  deserved  it. 

8.  The   speckled;    the    kids  of   this   color.     All   the   flock   bare 
speckled ;  not  as  the  result  of  Jacob's  cunning,  but  by  divine  agency. 

9.  God  hath  taken,  better,  snatched,  away  the  cattle  of  your  father, 
the  wicked  oppressor,  and  given  them  to  me,  his  suffering    servant. 
This  sounds  like  cant  only  because  the  reader  cannot  forget  the  earlier 
picture. 

10.  This  verse  seems  to  have  belonged  to  a  third  version  of  the 
story  of  Jacob's  wealth ;   for  here  there  are  not  one  (E)  or  two  (J) 
kinds  of  party-colored  animals,  but  three,  ringstraked,  speckled,  and 
grisled. 

11.  In  the  dream.     Better,  in  a  dream,  since,  as  has  just  been  ex- 
plained, this  verse  has  no  connection  with  v.  10. 

12.  This  verse  is  from  the  same  hand  as  v.  10.     It  seems  to  belong 
either  before   that  verse   or   after   the   first   clause,    And  .  .  .  con- 
ceived. 

13.  This  verse  continues  v.  n,  or,  rather,  the  And  he  said  with 
which  v.  12  begins.     The  God  of  Beth-el;    or,  as  the  Greek  Version 
and  the  Targum  have  it,  the  God  -who  appeared  to  thee  at  Beth-el.     See 

232 


GENESIS  31  :  18 


edst  a  °pillar,  °where 1  thou  vowedst  a  °vow  unto  me : 
°now2  arise,  get  thee  out  from  this  land,  and  return 

14.  unto  the  land  of  thy  nativity.3     And  Rachel  and  Leah 
answered  and  said  unto  him,  Is  there  yet  any  portion  or 

15.  inheritance  for  us  in  our  father's  house?     Are  we  not 
counted  of  him  °strangers?    for  he  hath  sold  us,  and 

16.  hath  also  quite  devoured  4  our  money.4     °For  all  the 
riches5  which  God  hath  taken  away  from  our  father, 
°that  is  ours  and  our  children's:    now  then,  whatso- 

17.  ever  God 6  hath  said  unto  thee,  do.  Then  Jacob  rose  up, 
and  set  °his  7  sons  and  his  wives  7  °upon  the  camels ;  and 

18.  °he  carried  away  all  his  cattle,  |  and  all  his  substance  P 

1  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  and  where.  *  Gr.  Vg.  add,  therefore.  3  Gr.  adds,  and  I  will  be 
with  thee.  •*  m.  the  price  paid  for  us.  *  Gr.  adds,  and  honor.  6  Sam.  Yahweh; 
Syr.  the  Lord.  1  Sam.  Gr.  -wives  and  his  sons. 

28  :  12.  On  the  pillar,  see  28  :  18,  and  on  the  vow,  28  :  20.  Before 
the  second  where  supply  and,  with  the  Versions ;  also  before  now. 
Now  arise.  The  last  of  the  conditions  named  in  Jacob's  vow  at 
Bethel  was  that  he  be  brought  back  to  his  father's  house.  The  rest 
have  been  fulfilled,  and  now  God  offers  him  a  safe-conduct  back  to 
Canaan. 

14.  It  was  customary  for  the  father  to  give  a  daughter  at  least  a 
part  of  the  price  he  received  for  her  as  a  wedding  present.     Since 
Laban,  as  appears  from  v.  15,  had  ignored  this  custom,  they  had  no 
reason  to  expect  that  he  would  ever  do  anything  for  them. 

15.  Strangers.     In   ancient   times   stranger   was   a   synonym   for 
enemy,  and  strangers  were  considered  fair  game  for  any  one  who 
chose  to  cheat  or  rob  them. 

1 6.  The  connective  For  goes  back  to  v.i3  and  the  question  whether 
they  should  obey  God's  command.     It  implies  some  such  thought  as 
Why  not  or  By  all  means.     That  is  ours  and  our  children's.    They  re- 
fuse to  allow  their  father  a  claim  upon  it  or  them. 

17.  His  sons   and   his   wives.    The  Samaritans  and   the  Greek 
Version  have  his  wives  and  his  sons,  or,  since  Dinah  is   included, 
children;    and   this   is    probably  the   original    reading.      Upon    the 
camels ;  these  animals  being  preferred  to  asses  for  a  long  journey. 
See  24  :  61. 

18.  He  carried  away.     If  the  verb  were  rendered  lead  or  drive, 
which  is  its  proper  meaning,  the  composite  character  of  this  verse 

233 


3i  :  19  GENESIS 


which  he  had  gathered,  °*1  the  cattle  of   his  getting, 

which  he  had  gathered  *f  in  Paddan-aram,2  for  to  go 

j   19.   to  Isaac  his  father  unto  the  land  of  Canaan.  |  Now 

E          Laban  was  gone  °to  shear  his  sheep :   |  and  °Rachel 

20.   stole 3  the  teraphim  that  were  her  father's.   And  Jacob 

stole  away  unawares  to  Laban  the  Syrian,  in  that  he 

J   21.   told  him  not  that  he  fled.  |  So  he  fled  with  all  that  he 

had;  and  he  rose  up,  and  passed  over  °the  River,  and 

set  his  face  toward  °the  mountain  of  Gilead. 

'  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  om.       *  Gr.  adds,  and  all  that  he  had.       J  Tar.  took. 

would  be  even  more  apparent  than  it  now  is.  The  words  the  cattle 
.  .  .  gathered  are  a  useless  gloss.  See  the  Versions. 

19.  To  shear  his  sheep ;  the  party-colored  animals  that  had  been 
removed  from  the  main  flock  and  placed  under  his  sons  three  days 
distant.  See  30  :  36.  The  occasion  was  an  important  one,  and  he 
could  not  well  absent  himself.  See  38  :  12.  Rachel  stole  the  tera- 
phim. The  word  teraphim  is  plural,  but  it  denotes  a  singular  object, 
a  sort  of  idol  for  a  household  shrine.  See  Jud.  17:5.  It  seems 
sometimes  to  have  been  of  considerable  size,  as,  for  example,  in  i  Sam. 
19  :  13 ;  but  in  this  case  it  must  have  been  comparatively  small,  else 
Rachel  could  hardly  have  hidden  it  as  she  did,  when  her  father  was 
searching  her  tent  for  it.  See  v.  34.  The  writer  (E)  does  not  scruple 
to  make  Laban  and  his  family  idolaters,  —  indeed  in  Josh.  24  :  15 
he  says  the  Hebrews  served  other  gods  before  they  came  to  Canaan, 
—  but  he  is  careful  not  to  implicate  Jacob  either  in  the  theft  of  the 
idol  or  any  sort  of  false  worship.  See  35  :  2. 

21.  The  River  is  "  the  great  river  "of  15  :  18,  the  Euphrates,  which 
Jacob  would  reach  when  about  sixty  miles  on  his  journey.  From  this 
point  his  course  lay  south-southeast  toward  the  mountain,  the  high- 
lands, of  Gilead.  This  name  is  used  in  a  narrower  and  a  broader  sense. 
In  the  narrower  it  denotes  the  country  east  of  the  Jordan  and  the 
Dead  Sea  between  the  Yarmuk  on  the  north  and  the  Arnon  on  the 
south  (Dt.  3  :  13);  in  the  broader  the  entire  territory  east  of  the  same 
bounds  claimed  by  the  Hebrews.  See  Num.  32  :  29.  The  northern 
border  of  this  larger  Gilead  was  more  than  three  hundred  miles  dis- 
tant from  the  point  where  Jacob  would  cross  the  Euphrates. 

(g)  A  quarrel  with  Laban,  31  :  22-32  :  2(3.  Laban,  on  hearing  of 
Jacob's  flight,  pursues  him  and  overtakes  him  in  the  highlands  of 
Gilead;  but,  having  been  warned  by  God  against  violence,  he  con- 
fines himself  to  reproaches,  complaining  especially  of  the  theft  of  his 

234 


GENESIS  31:25 


22.  And  it  was  told  Laban  °on  the  third  day  that  Jacob   j 

23.  was  fled.     And  °he  took  his  brethren  with  him,  and 
pursued  after  him  °seven  days'  journey ;  |  and  he  over-   E 

24.  took  him  in  the  mountain  of  Gilead.     And  God  came 
to  Laban  the  Syrian  in  a  dream  of  the  night,  and  said 
unto  him,  Take  heed  to  thyself  that  thou  speak  not  to 

25.  Jacob  01  either  good  or1  bad.  |  °And  Laban  came  up   j 
with  Jacob.     Now  Jacob  had  pitched  his  tent  °in  the 

1  Gr.  om. 


teraphim.  Jacob  denies  the  charge  and  bids  his  father-in-law  search 
his  camp,  which  he  does,  but,  thanks  to  Rachel's  cunning,  in  vain. 
Then  it  is  Jacob's  turn  to  be  indignant,  but,  after  he  has  given  vent 
to  his  anger,  he  consents  to  a  covenant  with  Laban,  after  which  the 
two  separate  with  mutual  good  wishes.  The  paragraph  is  undoubtedly 
composite,  the  sources  being  the  Judean  and  Ephraimite  narratives, 
but  in  places  it  is  difficult  to  decide  from  which  of  them  the  given 
passage  was  taken. 

22.  On  the  third  day;   because  he  was  three  days'  journey  from 
home.     See  30  :  36. 

23.  He  took  his  brethren  with  him.     If  he  returned  to  Haran  for 
them,  he  must  have  been  at  least  six  days  behind  Jacob  when  he 
started.     Seven  days'  journey;   his  rate  of  travel  being  more  than  fifty 
miles  a  day.     See  v.  21.     Jacob  had  made  the  same  distance,  encum- 
bered as  he  was,  in  thirteen  days  or  less,  his  rate  being  between  twenty- 
five  and  thirty  miles  a  day. 

24.  Either  good  or  bad ;   lit.  from  good,  to  bad,  anything  at  all.     See 
24  :  30. 

25.  And  Laban  came  up  with  Jacob.     Compare  23b  (E).     In  the 
mountain.     At  first  thought  it  seems  as  if  the  term  mountain  should 
here  be  interpreted  as  it  was  in  v.  23,  i.e.,  as  meaning  the  highlands  of 
Gilead.    The  occurrence  of   the   complete   expression   in  the   next 
clause,  however,  has  led  some  to  think  that  an  antithesis  is  intended, 
and  that  therefore  a  name  has  here  been  lost  or  expunged.     So  Dill- 
mann.    This  name,  according  to  Lagarde  and  others,  was  Mizpeh, 
which  appears  as  an  equivalent  of  Gilead  in  v.  49.     See,  however, 
the  note  on  that  verse.     It  is  really  not  necessary  to  supply  a  name. 
Indeed,  although  the  biblical  writers  do  not  always  follow  this  rule, 
the  place  should  have  no  name  until  after  the  memorial  from  which 
it  is  taken  has  been  erected.     Here,  therefore,  it  is  better  to  render  the 
phrase  simply  in  a  mountain,  viz.,  the  one  that  Jacob  had  selected  for 

235 


3 1  :  26  GENESIS 


mountain :   and  °Laban  *  with  his  brethren  f  pitched  in 

E   26.   the  mountain  of  Gilead.  |  And  Laban  said  to  Jacob, 

°What  *  hast  thou  1  done,  2  that  thou  hast  stolen  away 

unawares  to  me,2  and  °carried  away  my  daughters  as 

J   27.  captives  of   the  sword?  |  3  Wherefore  didst  thou  flee 

secretly,  and  steal  away  from  me 3 ;  and  4  didst  not  tell 

me,  that  I  might 4  have  sent  thee  away  with  mirth  and 

E   28.   with  songs,  with  °5  tabret  and  with  °harp  5;  |  and  hast 

not  suffered  me  to  kiss  °my  sons  and  my  daughters? 

29.   °now  hast  thou  done  foolishly.     °It  is  e  in  the  power  of 

my  hand  °to  do  you7* hurt:  but  the  God  of  08your* 

father  spake  unto  me  yesternight,  saying,  Take  heed  to 

1  Syr.  have  I.  '  Gr.  substitutes,  wherefore  .  .  .  from  me  of  v.  27.  '  Gr.  om. 
<  Gr.  if  thou  hadst  told  me,  I  should  have.  s  Syr.  harp  .  .  .  iabret.  *  Syr.  was. 
i  Sam.  Gr.  thee.  8  Sam.  Gr.  thy. 

a  camp.  This  mountain  was  north  of  the  Jabbok  and  some  distance 
from  the  Jordan,  i.e.,  in  the  northeastern  part  of  Gilead ;  but  its  exact 
location  cannot  be  determined.  Laban  with  his  brethren  pitched  is 
evidently  a  scribal  mistake  for  Laban  pitched  his  lent,  which  requires 
the  restoration  of  only  a  single  letter. 

26.  The  Syriac  reading,   What  have  I  done,  for  What  hast  thou 
done,  is  attractive.    The  verb  here  rendered  carried  away  is  the  same 
that  is  used  of  cattle  in  v.  18,  but  it  has  a  stronger  form,  for  which 
driven  off  would  be  a  better  translation.    The  stronger  the  term  used, 
the  richer  will  be  the  humor. 

27.  In  the  preceding  verse  Laban  assumes  that  his  daughters  would 
only  have  left  him  on  compulsion ;    here  he  poses  as  the  affectionate 
parent,  reproaching  his  son-in-law  for  robbing  him  of  an  opportunity 
to  display  his  feelings.    The  tabret,  or  timbrel,  was  a  kind  of  tam- 
bourine with  which  the  Hebrews  accompanied  their  songs  of  rejoicing. 
See  Ex.  18  :  20;   i  Sam.  18  :  6,  etc.    On  the  harp,  see  4  :  21. 

28.  My  sons  and  my  daughters ;   his  daughters  and  their  children. 
Now  hast  thou  done  foolishly  is  not  so  mild  as  it  sounds  in  English. 
What  Laban  says  is  that  Jacob  has  played  the  fool,  which,  according 
to  i  Sam.  26  :  21,  is  equivalent  to  erring  exceedingly. 

29.  It  is  in  the  power  of  my  hand.     Laban  seems  to  have  had  the 
larger  following ;    moreover,  he  was  unhampered.     To  do  you  hurt. 
Better,  with  the  Samaritans  and  the  Greek  Version,  to  do  thee 
Read,  also,  thy  father  for  your  father  on  the  same  authority. 

236 


GENESIS  31  : 33 


thyself  that  thou  speak  not  to  Jacob  either  good  or  bad. 

30.  And  now  though  thou  wouldest  needs  be  gone,  °because 
thou  sore  longedst  after  thy  father's  house,  yet  °where- 

31.  fore  hast  thou  stolen  my  gods?  |  And  Jacob  answered  J 
and  said  to  Laban,  °*1  Because  I  was  afraid  *f :   for 2 

I  said,  °Lest  thou  shouldest  take  thy  daughters  from  me 

32.  by  force.3  |  With  whomsoever  thou  findest  thy  gods,  he  E 
shall  not  live:   before  our  brethren  discern  thou  what 

33.  is  thine  with  me,  and  take  it  to  thee.4    For  Jacob  knew 
not  that  Rachel  had  stolen  them.    And  °Laban  went 
into 5  Jacob's 6  tent,7  and  8  into  Leah's  8  tent,  °*  and  into 
the  tent  of  the  two  maidservants  1 5  but  he  found  them 

1  Gr.  mss.  om.  »  Syr.  and.  3  Gr.  adds,  and  all  I  have.  A  nd  Jacob  said.  *  Gr. 
adds,  and  he  did  not  discern  with  him  anything.  5  Sara.  Gr.  and  searched. 
6  Gr.  Leah's.  »  Gr.  adds,  and  found  them  not.  8  Gr.  he  came  out  of  Leah's  tent, 
and  searched  in  Jacob's. 


30.  The  preceding  verse  is  parenthetical  in  character.    This  one, 
therefore,  should  be  read  as  the  continuation  of  the  thought  of  v.  28. 
Laban  pretends  to  see  a  reason  why  Jacob  should  have  left  him  so 
suddenly  and  secretly ;    because,  he  says  with  ill-concealed  irony, 
thou  sore  longedst   after  thy   father's  house ;  —  but   he   demands, 
wherefore  hast  thou  stolen  my  gods?    or,  since  there  was  but  one 
image,  my  god.     See  also  vs.  32  ff. 

31.  The  answer  that  follows  does  not  fit  the  question.     It  would 
be  ridiculous  to  suppose  Jacob  to  have  practically  admitted  the  theft 
and  given  as  a  reason  for  it,  Lest  thou  shouldest  take  thy  daughters 
from  me  by  force.    The  difficulty  disappears,  however,  when  one 
recognizes  the  composite  character  of  the  story  and  assigns  this  verse 
to  the  same  author  as  v.  27.    The  words  quoted  then  become  a  reason 
and  a  good  one,  for  the  secrecy  of  Jacob's  movements.     The  clause 
Because  I  was  afraid  is  probably  a  gloss.      Add,  however,  with  the 
Greek  Version,  at  the  end  of  the  verse,  and  all  I  have. 

32.  Here,  again,  the  Greek  Version  is  helpful,  supplying  the  in- 
troductory clause  And  Jacob  said,  with  which  the  verse  should  begin. 
It  thus  becomes  the  fitting  answer  to  v.  30. 

33.  Laban  went  into  Jacob's  tent.    The  Samaritans  and  the  Greek 
Version  as  well  as  some  Hebrew  manuscripts  add  and  searched,  and 
this  may  well  have  been  the  original  reading.    On  the  other  hand,  the 
words  and  into  the  tent,  better,  tents,  of  the  two  maidservants  are 

237 


3 1  :  34  GENESIS 


not.      *  And  he  went  out  of  Leah's  tent,1  and  entered 

34.  °into  Rachel's  tent.    Now  Rachel  had  taken  the  tera- 
phim,  and  put  them  in  °the  camel's  furniture,2  and  sat 
upon  them.       *3And  Laban  felt  about  all  the  tent,  but 

35.  found  them  not.3f    And   she   said  to  her 'father,  Let 
not  °my  lord  be  angry  that  °I  cannot  rise  up  before 
thee :  for  °the  manner  of  women  is  upon  me.     And  °he 

36.  searched,4  but  found  not  the  teraphim.    And  °Jacob 
was  wroth,  and  chode  with  Laban:    and  Jacob  an- 
swered and  said  to  Laban,  What  is  my  trespass  ?  what 5 
is  my  sin,   that  thou  hast  hotly  pursued  after  me? 

37.  °Whereas6  thou  hast  felt  about  7  all  my  stuff,7  what 
hast  thou  found  of  all  thy  household  stuff?     Set  it  here 

1  Gr.  om.       *  SV  saddle.      s  Gr.  om.      *  Gr.  adds,  in  the  whole  tent.      '  Heb. 
mss.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  and  -what.       6  Sam.  Gr.  Now  that.       ">  Gr.  all  my  household  stuff. 

doubtless  an  interpolation,  as  appears  from  the  fact  that  in  the  latter 
half  of  the  verse  Laban  is  represented  as  passing  directly  from  Leah's 
into  Rachel's  tent. 

34.  The  camel's  furniture.     SV  has  saddle,  but  neither  of  these 
terms  is  very  intelligible.    The  thing  meant  is  a  sort  of  palanquin, 
consisting  of  a  framework  four  or  five  feet  long,  covered  with  cloth, 
in  which  women  and  children  are  still  conveyed  by  mules  or  camels. 
Sometimes  it  is  single,  in  which  case  it  rests  crosswise  on  the  saddle ; 
but  it  oftener  consists  of  two  compartments,  one  on  each  side  of  the 
animal.     It  would  be  a  natural  place  to  hide  the  image,  also  a  natural 
place  for  Rachel  to  sit  if  she  were  indisposed.    The  latter  half  of  the 
verse,  which  disturbs  the  connection  and  anticipates  35b,  should  be 
omitted,  as  it  is  in  the  Greek  Version. 

35.  My  lord  is  more  polite  than  affectionate.     I  cannot  rise;  as 
politeness  would  require.     See  Lev.  19  :  32.     The  manner  of  women 
is  upon  me.    This  explanation  accounts  for  her  inability  to  rise,  and 
at  the  same  time  prevents  her  father  from  disturbing  her,  a  woman 
in  the  condition  described  being  unclean.     He  searched,  but  found 
not.    Thus  the  daughter  proved  herself  more  than  a  match  for  her 
wily  father. 

36.  Jacob  was  wroth ;  as,  according  to  the  Ephraimite  narrator, 
he  had  a  right  to  be. 

37.  Whereas,  or,  as  the  Samaritans  read,  Now  that.    My  brethren ; 
the  menservants  of  30  :  43. 

238 


GENESIS  31:41 


before  °my  brethren  and  thy  brethren,  that  they  may 

38.  judge  betwixt  us  two.  |  °This  twenty  years  have  I  been 
with  thee;    °thy  ewes  and  thy  she-goats  have  not  cast 
their  young,  and  °the  rams  of  thy  flocks  have  I  not  eaten. 

39.  That  which  was  °torn  of  beasts  I  brought  not  unto  thee; 
I  bare  the  loss  of  it ;   °of  my  hand  didst  thou  require  it, 

40.  whether  stolen  by  day  or  stolen  by  night.     Thus  I  was ; 
in  the  day  °the  drought  consumed  me,  and  °the  frost 

41.  by  night;   and  °my  sleep  fled  from  mine  eyes.  |  These 
°twenty  years  have  I  been  in  thy  house;    I  served  thee 
fourteen  years  for  thy  two  daughters,  and  °six  years  for 
thy  flock :  and  thou  hast  changed  my  wages  ten  times.1 

1  Gr.  lambs. 

38.  This  twenty  years.    The  rendering  This  is  mistaken  as  well  as 
ungrammatical.    The  word  so  translated  often  means  this,  but  in 
such  instances  as  the  present  it  should  be  rendered  now.     In  ques- 
tions it  has  the  force  of  then.    Thus,  in  Ps.  24  :  8,  the  proper  rendering 
is  neither,  Who  is  this  king  of  glory?  (AV),  nor  Who  is  the  king  of 
glory  ?   (RV),  but  Who,  then,  is  the  king  of  glory  ?    On  the  number 
twenty,  see  v.  41.     Thy  ewes  .  .  .  have  not  cast  their  young ;   as  they 
would  have  done  under  a  less  skilful  shepherd.     The  rams,  or,  as  the 
Old  Latin  reads,  the  lambs,   .  .  .  have  I  not  eaten ;   as  a  less  faithful 
shepherd  would  have  done. 

39.  In  Ex.  22  :  13  it  is  provided  that  if  one  in  charge  of  an  animal 
torn  of  beasts  brings  the  remains  of  it  to  its  owner,  he  need  not  make 
it  good.     See  also  the  Code  of  Hammurabi,  §  266.     Laban,  however, 
recognized  no  such  law.     He  was  equally  rigid  with  reference  to  a 
missing  animal.      Of  my  hand,  says  Jacob,  didst  thou  require  it, 
whether  stolen  by  day  or  stolen  by  night ;   although  in  the  latter  case 
Laban  himself  ought  to  have  borne  the  loss.     See  Ex.  22  :  10  f. 

40.  The  drought.     Better,  since  an  antithesis  with  the  frost  seems 
to  have  been  intended,  the  heat,  as  the  Hebrew  word  here  used  is 
rendered  in  Jb.  30  :  30.    The  difference  in  temperature  between  day 
and  night  in  that  country  is  a  serious  menace  to  the  health  of  its  in- 
habitants.    My  sleep  fled  from  mine  eyes ;  so  constantly  must  he  be 
on  the  watch  against  the  enemies  of  his  flock. 

41.  Here  follows  the  Ephraimite  version  of  Jacob's  complaint. 
It,  also,  begins  with  a  statement  of  the  length  of  Jacob's  stay  in  Mes- 
opotamia, twenty  years,  the  last  term  being  six  years. 

239 


31:42  GENESIS 


42.  Except  the  God  of  °my  father,  os|elthe  God  of1  Abraham 

and  t  °the  Fear  of  Isaac,  had  been  with  me,  surely  now 

hadst  thou  sent  me  away  empty.     God  hath  seen  mine 

affliction  and  the  labour  of  my  hands,  and  rebuked  thee 

J  43.  yesternight.  |  And    Laban    answered    and.  said    unto 

Jacob,   °The  daughters  are  my  daughters,   and  °the 

children  are  my  children,  and  the  flocks  are  my  flocks, 

and  °all  that  thou  seest  is  mine:    and  °what  can  I  do 

this  day  unto  these  my  daughters,  or  unto  their  children 

44.  which 2  they  have  borne  ?    And  now  come,  let  us  make 

a  covenant,  I  and  thou ;  and  °let  it*  be  for*  a  witness 

E  45.   between  me  and  thee.3  |  And  Jacob  °took  a  stone,  and 

J  46.  set  it   up  for  a  pillar.  |  And  Jacob  *  said  unto  his 


1  Gr.  pm.       »  SV  whom.      3  Gr.  adds,  And  Jacob  said  unto  him,  Behold  there  is 
no  one  with  us;  see,  God  is  witness  betwixt  me  and  thee  (50). 


42.  My  father  would  naturally  mean  Isaac.     Hence  it  is  probable 
that   the  descriptive  phrase  the  God  of  Abraham  is  an  addition  to 
the  original  text.     The  Fear  of  Isaac ;    the  divinity  whom  Isaac  wor- 
shipped. 

43.  Laban  suddenly  changes  his  tactics.     The  daughters  here,  as 
in  30  :  13,  means  the  women,  including  Bilhah  and  Zilpah,  just  as 
the  children  embraces  all  whose  names  have  been  given.     All  that 
thou  seest  is  mine.    This  assumption  of  credit  for  the  results  of  Jacob's 
skill  and  thrift  is  a  delightful  bit  of  oriental  humor.     It  requires  only 
a  comprehensive  gesture  to  complete  it.    The  rest  of  the  verse  must 
be  interpreted  in  the  same  way.     The  question  what  can  I  do  is 
not,  as  has  been  held,  an  expression  of  anxiety  to  do  something  for 
his  daughters,  but  a  declaration  of  inability,  as  a  generous  man  and 
affectionate  father,  to  do  them  or  their  children  any  injury.     In  other 
words,  it  is  an  excellent  example  of  making  a  virtue  of  necessity. 

44.  Let  it  be  for  a  witness  can  hardly  be  the  original  reading. 
From  v.  48  it  is  clear  that  it  is  not  the  covenant,  but  a  cairn,  that 
Laban  has  in  mind.     Read,  therefore,  with  the  Syriac  Version,  Let 
there  be  a  witness. 

45.  There  is  a  twofold  account  of  Jacob's  response  to  this  sugges- 
tion.   The  first  (E)  says  that  he  took  a  stone,  and  set  it  up,  just  as  he 
did  at  Bethel.     See  29  :  18.     In  v.  51  Laban  wrongly  claims  to  have 
erected  this  pillar.     See  also  v.  49. 

240 


GENESIS  31:50 


brethren,  °Gather  stones ;  and  °they  took **  stones,  and 
made  an  heap :   and  °they  did  eat  there  by  the  heap.2 1 

47.  And  Laban  called  it  ° Jegar-sahadutha 3 :    but  Jacob   R 

48.  called  it  °Galeed.  |  4  And  °Laban  said,  This  heap  is  J 
witness  between  me  and  thee  this  day.4    Therefore  was 

49.  the  name  of  it  called  Galeed;  |  and  °Mizpah,5  for  he  R 
said,  °6  The  LORD  6  watch  between  me  and  thee,  when 

50.  we  are  absent  one  from  another.  |  If  thou  shalt  afflict  J 
my  daughters,  and  if  thou  shalt  take  wives  beside  my 
daughters,7 1  °no  man  is  with  us;  8see,  God  is  witness 8  E 

1  Gr.  gathered.       •  Gr.  adds  48a.       3  SV  Jegar-saha-dutha.       •»  Gr.  substitutes 

51.  52a.        s  Sam.  the  pillar.       6  Gr.  God.       1  Gr.  adds,  see.       8  Gr.  om. 


46.  The  second  represents  him  as  summoning  his  brethren  to 
gather  stones  for  an  heap,  but  v.  51   requires  that  Laban  should  be 
substituted  for  Jacob.    The  probable  explanation  is  that  the  original 
reading  was  he  in  both  cases,  and   that   some    one    has    here    sub- 
stituted the  wrong  subject.     They  took  stones.     Read,  rather,  with 
the  Greek  Version,  they  gathered  stones.     They  did  eat ;   celebrated  the 
event  by  a  feast,  as  was  the  custom.     See  26  :  30. 

47.  The  story  is  here  interrupted  by  an  editorial  addition^    Jegar- 
sahadutha  is  the  Aramaic,  and  Galeed,  more  exactly,  Gal'edh,  the 
Hebrew,  for  Heap  of  testimony.     Heretofore  all  the  characters  have 
spoken  Hebrew.     See  especially  29  :  31  ff. 

48.  Laban  said ;  at  the  feast. 

49.  The  introduction  of  Mizpah  at  this  point  seems  to  be  an  editorial 
attempt  to  identify  the  place  where  Laban  overtook  Jacob  with  Mizpeh 
of  Gilead.     See  Jud.  n  :  29.    This  latter  is  probably  the  Ramath- 
mizpeh  of  Josh.   13  :  26,  for  which  Merrill  finds  a  suitable    site  at 
Kalat  er-Rubad,  just  north  of  Wady  Ajlun,  about  ten  miles  east  of  the 
Jordan.     It  is  evident,  however,  that  either  Merrill  or  the  author  of 
this  verse  is  mistaken,  since,  according  to  v.  52,  the  place  in  question 
was  on  the  border  of  Syria.    The  alternative  is  to  adopt  the  Greek 
reading,  God,  for  the  LORD,  and  conclude  that  this  is  another  case  in 
which  the  Ephraimite  differs  from  the  Judean  narrative.    Mizpah 
might  then  be  located  anywhere  in  Gilead.   The  LORD  watch  (s.aphah) ; 
a  play  upon  the  name  Mizpah,  more  correctly,  Mispah. 

50.  The  latter  part  of  this  verse  from  no  man  onward  does  not  seem 
to  suit  the  connection.    Most  of  it  is  wanting  in  the  Greek  Version. 
Perhaps,  as  has  been  suggested,  the  whole  is  editorial.     If  it  were 

K.  241 


3 1  151  GENESIS 


J   51.   Betwixt  me  and  thee.1  |  And  2  Laban  said  to  Jacob, 
Behold  this  heap,  *  and  behold  °the  3  pillar,!  which  I 

52.  have  set  betwixt  me  and  thee.     This  heap  be  witness, 
*  and  the 3  pillar  be  witness,!  that  °I  will  not  pass  over 
4  this  heap  4  to  thee,  and  that  thou  shalt  not  pass  over 

53.  this  heap  *  and  this  pillar  f  unto  me,  for  harm.     The 
God  of  Abraham  and  the  God  of  Nahor,  °*5  the  God 

E          of  their  father,5!  judge  betwixt  us.  |  And  Jacob  sware 

54.  by  °the  Fear  of  his  father  Isaac.    And  °Jacob  offered 
a  sacrifice  in  the  mountain,  and  called  °his  brethren  °to 
eat  bread :   and  they  did  eat  bread?  and  tarried  all  night 

Heb.  32 :  i.  55-  in  the  mountain.  And  early  in  the  morning  Laban 
rose  up,  and  kissed  his  sons  and  his  daughters,  and 
blessed  them :  and  Laban  departed  and  returned  unto 


1  Gr.  om.      »  Gr.  transfers  51,  52a  to  48.      3  Gr.  Syr.  this.       *  Gr.  om.     '  m.  the 
gods  of  their  fallter ;  Sam.  the  God  of  Abraham;   Gr.  om. 


neglected,  the  first  part  of  the  verse  could  be  more  closely  connected 
with  v.  49. 

5 1 .  This  verse,  which  seems  to  have  come  from  the  Judean  narrative, 
originally  referred  to  the  cairn  only,  but,  when  the  Ephraimite  nar- 
rative was  incorporated  with  the  earlier  work,  it  became  necessary  to 
insert  a  reference  to  the  pillar. 

52.  A  proof  that  the  pillar  is  an  addition  to  the  original  text  of  J 
is  found  in  the  fact  that  in  this  verse  it  occurs  only  twice,  the  editor 
having  overlooked  the  clause  I  will  not  pass  over  this  heap  to  thee, 
where  it  is  just  as  much  required  as  in  the  other  two  cases.     Of  course, 
if  the  Greek  reading,  without  this  heap,  were  adopted,  this  argument 
would  become  worthless ;    but  there  are  others. 

53.  If  the  translators  had  left  the  phrase  the  God  of  their  father 
at  the  end  of  the  sentence,  where  it  stands  in  the  original,  it  would 
be  more  easily  recognized  as  an  interpolation.     It  is  wanting  in  the 
Greek  Version.    On  the  Fear  of  his  father  Isaac  see  v.  42. 

54.  Jacob  offered  a  sacrifice  ;  acting  as  his  own  priest,  as  did  Abra- 
ham   before    him.     His    brethren ;    not    only   his    own    men,    but 
Laban  and  his  followers.     To  eat  bread ;   at  a  feast  celebrating  the 
covenant.     For  the  corresponding  passage  from  the  Judean  narrative 
see  v.  46, 

242 


GENESIS  32  : 2 

32.    his  place.    And  Jacob  went  on  his  way,1  and  °the 
2 13.   angels  of  God  met  him.    And  Jacob  said  when  he  saw 

them,  °This  is  God's  host:   and  he  called  the  name  of 

that  place  °Mahanaim. 

1  Gr.  adds,  and,  lifting  up  his  eyes,  he  saw  the  host  of  God  encamped. 


i\2.   The  angels  of  God.     See  28  :  12. 

2)3.  This  is  God's  host  (mahaneJi) ;  a  play  upon  the  name  Mahanaim, 
the  apparent  meaning  of  which  is  Double  camp.  Mahanaim  was  an 
important  place.  At  one  time  it  was  the  capital  of  the  kingdom  of 
Israel.  See  2  Sam.  2  :  8  f .  Later  it  furnished  a  refuge  for  David  in 
his  flight  before  Absalom.  See  2  Sam.  17  :  24.  In  Josh.  13  :  26  it  is 
mentioned  as  on  the  border  between  the  territory  of  Gad  and  that  of 
Manasseh.  It  must,  therefore,  have  been  north  of  the  Jabbok,  as 
the  present  reference  to  it  would  indicate.  The  view  that  it  was  at  or 
near  modern  Mahneh,  about  fifteen  miles  north  of  that  river  and  the 
same  distance  from  the  Jordan,  has  in  its  favor  the  resemblance  be- 
tween the  two  names,  but  this  site  seems  too  far  from  the  Jordan  to 
suit  the  requirements  of  2  Sam.  18  :  23.  Merrill,  therefore,  proposes 
to  locate  it  at  Khurbet  Suleikhat,  a  site  about  nine  miles  north  of  the 
Jabbok,  among  the  foothills,  only  about  three  hundred  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  Jordan  valley.  Driver  locates  it  at  Deir  Alia,  only 
four  miles  north  of  the  Jabbok. 

This  paragraph  is  one  of  the  most  puzzling  portions  of  the  book 
of  Genesis.  The  difficulty  in  analyzing  and  interpreting  it  may,  in 
part,  be  due  to  a  dislocation  of  the  text.  In  vs.  44-52  the  Greek  Ver- 
sion has  a  very  different  order.  It  reads  as  follows :  (44)  Now, 
therefore,  come,  let  us  make  a  covenant,  I  and  thou;  and  it  shall  be  for  a 
witness  between  me  and  thee.  (And  Jacob  said  unto  him),  (sob)  See, 
no  one  is  with  us;  God  is  witness  betwixt  me  and  thee.  (45)  And 
Jacob  took  a  stone  and  set  it  up  for  a  pillar.  (46)  And  Jacob  said 
unto  his  brethren,  Gather  stones;  and  they  gathered  stones,  and  made 
a  heap:  and  they  did  eat  (and  drink)  there  by  the  heap.  (48a)  And 
Laban  said  (unto  him),  This  heap  witnesseth  between  me  and  thee  this 
day.  (47)  And  Laban  called  it  Heap  of  testimony,  but  Jacob  called  it 
Heap  witnesseth.  (51)  And  Laban  said  to  Jacob,  Behold  this  heap 
and  this  pillar  which  I  have  set  up  betwixt  me  and  thee.  (52a)  This 
heap  witnesseth,  and  this  pillar  witnesseth.  (48b)  Therefore  was  the 
name  of  it  called  Heap  witnesseth ;  (49)  and  The  Vision,  as  to  which 
he  said,  God  watch  between  me  and  thee,  when  we  are  absent  one  from 
the  other.  (5oa)  //  thou  shall  afflict  my  daughters,  if  thou  shall  take 
wives  beside  my  daughters,  see,  no  one  is  with  us.  (52b)  ///  pass 

243 


32  :  3  GENESIS 


j  3 1 4.  And  Jacob  sent  messengers  before  him  to  Esau  his 
brother  unto  °the  land  of  Seir,  *  the  field  of  Edom.f 

4(5.  And  he  commanded  them,  saying,  Thus  shall  ye  say 
unto  °my  lord  Esau ;  Thus  saith  thy  servant 1  Jacob, 
I  have  sojourned  with  Laban,  and  stayed  until  now: 

5 1 6.  and  °I  have  oxen,  and  asses  and2  flocks,  and  men- 
servants  and  maidservants:  and  I  have  sent  to  tell 

6\j.  my  lord,3  that  1 4  may  find  grace  in  thy  sight.  And  °the 
messengers  returned  to  Jacob,  saying,  We  came  to  thy 
brother  Esau,  and  moreover  he  cometh  to  meet  thee, 

1  Vg.  brother.       '  So  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.      3  Gr.  adds,  Esau.       *  Gr.  thy  servant. 

not  over  to  thee,  neither  shall  thou  pass  over  this  heap  and  this  pillar 
unto  me  for  harm. 

This  arrangement  is  in  some  respects  an  improvement  on  that  of  the 
received  text,  but  the  difference  would  hardly  warrant  one  in  adopting 
it. 

(5)   Jacob's  return  from  the  East,  32  : 3)4-35  :  29 

Under  this  head  are  grouped  a  series  of  incidents  in  the  experience 
of  Jacob  on  his  journey  from  the  point  where  Laban  left  him  until 
he  finally  reached  Hebron.  The  first  paragraph  relates  to 

(a)  The  present  for  Esau,  32  :  3 [4-2 1| 22.  FromMahanaim  Jacob 
sends  messengers  to  Esau,  announcing  his  return  and  entreating  his 
brother's  favor.  The  messengers  report  Esau  approaching  with  a 
large  force ;  whereupon  Jacob,  greatly  disturbed,  divides  his  com- 
pany, appeals  to  Yahweh,  and  despatches  some  of  his  servants  with  a 
large  present  in  cattle,  giving  them  careful  instructions  what  they  shall 
do  and  say  when  they  meet  him.  The  paragraph  is  mainly  from  the 
Judean  narrative,  but  there  are  fragments  from  the  Ephraimite,  and 
the  story  has  been  expanded  by  the  compiler. 

3(4.  The  land  of  Seir;  which,  therefore,  according  to  the  author, 
is  the  home  of  Esau.  The  Priestly  writer,  however,  represents  him 
as  remaining  in  Canaan  until  after  the  death  of  his  father.  See  36  :  6. 

4] 5.  My  lord  Esau  .  .  .  thy  servant  Jacob;  conciliatory  phrases, 
common  among  orientals. 

5|6.  I  have  oxen.  In  30  :  43  camels  are  mentioned  as  a  part  of 
Jacob's  wealth,  but  no  oxen.  See  v.  7)8. 

6|7.  The  messengers  returned;  after  several  days,  it  being  not  less 
than  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  from  the  Jabbok  to  the  ancient 
capital  of  Edom. 

244 


GENESIS  32  :  12 

7(8.   and  four  hundred  men  with  him.    Then  ° Jacob  was 
greatly  afraid  and  was  distressed:  |  and  he  divided  E 
the  people  that  was  with  him,  and  the  flocks,  and  the 
8(9.   herds,  *  and  the  camels,1  into  °two  companies ;  and  he2 
said,  If  Esau 3  come  to  the  one  company,  and  smite  it, 
9|io.   then  °the  company  which  is  left  shall  escape.  |  And  R 
Jacob  said,  O  God  of  my  father  Abraham,  and  God 
of  my  father  Isaac,  °O  LORD,  which  saidst  unto  me, 
°Return  unto  4  thy  country,4  and  to  thy  kindred, 

io|n.  and  I  will  do  thee  good:  I  am  not  worthy  of  the 
least  of  all  °the  mercies,5  and  of  all  °the  truth,  which 
thou  hast  shewed  unto  thy  servant;  °for  with  my 
staff  I  passed  over  °this  Jordan;  and  now  I  am  be- 

n|i2.  come  two  companies.  Deliver  me,  I  pray  thee, 
from  the  hand  of  my  brother,  from  the  hand  of  Esau : 
for  I  fear  him,  lest  he  come  and  smite  me,6  °the 

I2|i3.   mother  with  the  children.    And  thou  saidst,  I  will 

1  Gr.  om.  '  Gr.  Syr.  Jacob.  3  Syr.  adds,  my  brother.  *  Syr.  the  land  of  thy 
fathers.  s  SV  lovingkindnesses.  6  Gr.  adds,  and;  Vg.  om. 

7)8.  Jacob  was  greatly  afraid.  He  had  given  Esau  good  reasons 
for  hating  him,  and  he  could  see  in  so  strong  an  escort  nothing  but 
hostility.  Two  companies.  Here,  again,  in  the  word  for  companies, 
mahanoth,  there  seems  to  be  an  allusion  to  Mahanaim. 

8 1 9.  The  company  which  is  left  shall  escape.  The  expedient  is  as 
cruel  as  it  is  desperate. 

9!  10.  The  prayer  that  follows  is  just  such  an  appeal  as  one  who  em- 
phasized the  promises  of  God  would  put  into  the  mouth  of  a  man  in 
the  situation  described.  O  LORD.  The  multiplication  of  names  for 
the  Deity  is  a  characteristic  of  the  devotional  style.  Return  unto  thy 
country.  See  31  :  3,  13. 

io|n.  The  mercies;  the  abundant  mercy.  The  plural  of  an  ab- 
stract noun  in  Hebrew  often  denotes  intensity  rather  than  multitude. 
The  truth.  Better,  faithfulness.  For  introduces  an  explanation,  not 
of  the  speaker's  unworthiness,  but  of  Yahweh's  mercy  and  faithfulness. 
This  Jordan  is  supposed  to  indicate  that  the  river  was  not  far 
distant. 

iijia.   The  mother  with  the  children;   great  and  small. 
245 


32  :  13  GENESIS 

surely  do  thee  good,  and  make  thy  seed  °as  the  sand 

of  the  sea,  which  cannot  be  numbered  for  multitude. 

E,  J   13!  14.    |  And  °he  lodged  there  that  night;  |  and  °took  of 

that  which  he  had  with  him  a  present  for  Esau  his 

14!  15.   brother;     two   hundred   she-goats   and   twenty   he- 

15!  1 6.  goats,  two  hundred  ewes  and  twenty  rams,  thirty 
milch  camels  and  their  colts,  forty  kine 1  and  ten  bulls, 

i6|i7.  twenty  she-asses  and  ten  foals.  And  he  delivered 
them  into  the  hand  of  his  servants,  °every  drove  by 
itself;  and  said  unto  his  servants,  Pass  over  before 

17!  18.  me,  and  put  °a  space  betwixt  drove  and  drove.  And 
he  commanded  the  foremost,  saying,  When  Esau  my 
brother  meeteth  thee,  and  asketh  thee,  saying,  Whose 
art  thou?  and  whither  goest  thou?  and  whose  are 

i8|i9.  these  before  thee?  then  thou  shalt  say,  They  be2  thy 
servant  Jacob's;  °it  is  a  present  sent  unto  my  lord 

19! 20.  Esau:  and,  behold,  °he  also  is  behind  us.  And  he 
commanded  also  the  second,  and  the  third,  and  all 
that  followed  the  droves,  saying,  On  this  manner 

1  SV  cows.      •  SV  are. 


12]  13.    As  the  sand  of  the  sea.     See  22  :  17. 

13  1 14.  He  lodged  there  that  night  seems  to  belong  at  the  end  of 
v.  8(9.  Took  of  that  which  he  had  ;  some  of  each  kind.  The  Jacob 
of  the  prayer  threw  himself  upon  Yahweh;  the  Jacob  of  this  verse 
relies  on  his  own  cunning. 

i6|i7-  The  number  of  animals  enumerated,  five  hundred  and  eighty 
head,  was  large  enough  to  make  an  impression  without  special  ar- 
rangements to  that  end.  The  effect  would  be  increased  by  sending 
forth  every  drove,  each  kind  of  animals,  by  itself,  and  keeping  a  space 
betwixt  drove  and  drove. 

18)19.  It:  is  a  present.  This  announcement  is  a  skilful  preparation 
for  the  second,  he  also  is  behind  us. 

19!  20.  The  second  announcement  is  so  worded  as  to  make  Esau 
push  forward  expecting  to  meet  Jacob  with  the  next  detachment,  only 
to  find  that  it  is  another  present. 

246 


GENESIS 


32 


20\2i.  shall  ye  speak  unto  Esau,  when  ye  find  him;  and  ye 
shall  say,  Moreover,  behold,  thy  servant  Jacob  is  l 
behind  us.  For  he  said,  I  will  °appease  him  with 
the  present 2  that  goeth  before  me,3  and  afterward  I 
will  see  his  face;  peradventure  he  will  accept  me. 

2IJ22.  So  °the  present2  passed  over  before  him:  and  he 
himself  lodged  that  night  in  °the  company. 

22 1 23.       And  he  rose  up  that  night,  and  took  his  two  wives,   J 
and  his  two  handmaids,  and  °his  eleven  children,  | 

23(24.    and  °passed  4  over  °the  ford4  of  Jabbok.5     *  And  E,  J 

1  Sam.  Gr.  comelh.  a  Gr.  Vg.  plu.  3  Gr.  him.  •*  Syr.  into  the  desert.  *  SV 
the  Jabbok. 

2OJ2I.  The  effect  of  four  such  disappointments  (!)  would  be  to 
appease  him,  if  he  were  placable. 

2i\22.  The  present  passed  over.  This  may  mean  crossed  the 
Jabbok,  or  only  passed  on.  The  company ;  not  one  of  the  two  men- 
tioned in  v.  7)8  (E),  but  the  whole  camp. 

(b)  The  struggle  at  the  Jabbok,  32  :  22(23-32133.  In  the  night 
Jacob  sends  his  wives  and  children,  and  his  possessions,  across  the 
Jabbok,  himself  remaining  on  the  northern  side.  There  he  has  a  pro- 
longed struggle,  in  which,  though  partially  disabled,  he  finally  wrests 
from  his  antagonist,  who  proves  to  be  God  in  a  human  form,  a  coveted 
blessing.  The  paragraph  is  from  the  Judean  narrative,  with  slight 
additions  from  other  sources. 

22(23  f.  In  these  verses  have  evidently  been  pieced  together 
two  statements,  one  from  the  Ephraimite,  the  other  from  the  Judean 
narrative,  with  reference  to  the  passage  of  the  Jabbok.  The  former 
seems  to  have  said  that  Jacob  himself  passed  over,  and  sent  over,  lit. 
caused  to  pass  over,  all  that  he  had  ;  the  latter  that  he  took  his  family 
and  sent  them  over,  but  himself  remained  on  the  hither  side.  See 
v.  24)25.  His  eleven  children;  Dinah  being  ignored.  The  ford  of 
Jabbok.  Better,  with  SV,  the  Jabbok.  The  Jabbok  is  the  stream 
now  known  as  Wady  Zerka  (Blue),  which  rises  in  a  great  spring  just 
south  of  Amman  (Rabbath  Ammon),  and,  after  flowing  some  distance 
in  a  northeasterly  direction,  makes  a  wide  curve  and  rushes  down  a 
deep  gorge  to  join  the  Jordan  at  a  point  nearly  in  line  with  Jaffa  and 
Shiloh,  about  twenty-two  miles  north  of  the  Dead  Sea.  It  is  narrow 
and  shallow,  and,  though  very  swift,  easily  fordable  when  not  in  flood. 
There  are  three  points  at  which  roads  cross  it,  the  lowest  being  only 
three  miles  from  the  Jordan. 

247 


32  :  24  GENESIS 


he  took  them  f  and  sent  them  over  the  stream,  | 
E,  J  24(25.  and  °sent  over  that1  he  had.  |  And  Jacob  was  left 

alone;  and  there  wrestled  a  man  with  him  until  the 
25! 26.  breaking  of  the  day.  And  when  he  saw  that  °he 

prevailed  not  against  him,  °he  touched  tHe  hollow  of 

his  thigh;  and  °the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh  was 
26] 27.  strained,  as  he  wrestled  with  him.  And  he  said,  Let 

me  go,  for  °the  day  breaketh.  And  he  said,  I  will  not 
27(28.  let  thee  go,  °except  thou  bless  me.  And  he  said  unto 
28J29.  him,  What  is  thy  name?  And  he  said,  Jacob.  And  he 

said,  Thy  name  shall  be  called  no  more  Jacob,  but 

°Israel :   for  °thou  2  hast  striven 2  with  God 3  °*  and 


1  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  all  that.     >  m.  hast  had  power;  Tar.  art  a  prince.     3  Syr. 
an  angel. 


24)25.  The  name  Jabbok  is  probably  a  derivative  of  a  verb  (bakak) 
meaning  gurgle,  but  the  author  of  this  story  seems  to  have  connected 
it  with  one  for  -wrestle  ('abhek)  because  near  it  Jacob  wrestled  with  a 
man. 

25)26.  He  prevailed  not;  the  subject  being  Jacob,  who  here  again 
gives  proof  of  his  physical  strength,  as  at  the  well  of  Haran.  See 
29  :  10.  He,  the  man,  touched  the  hollow,  the  socket,  of  his,  Jacob's, 
thigh.  The  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh  was  strained.  Better,  dislo- 
cated; AV  out  of  joint. 

26] 27.  The  eagerness  of  Jacob's  antagonist  to  escape  is  now  ex- 
plained :  the  day  breaketh,  and  supernatural  beings  —  such  is  the 
teaching  of  the  story  —  must  not  be  abroad  by  daylight.  Compare 
3  :  8.  Except  thou  bless  me.  The  demand  is  characteristic.  Jacob 
never  loses  an  opportunity,  but  the  things  he  seeks  are  always  of  the 
highest  value. 

28] 29.  The  new  name  Israel  means,  literally,  God  persisteth,  or 
May  God  persist,  viz.,  as  champion  and  defender  of  his  worshippers. 
It  cannot,  therefore,  have  been  suggested  by  the  incident  here  nar- 
rated. The  alternative  is  to  suppose  that  the  name  influenced  the 
form  in  which  the  narrative  is  cast ;  in  other  words,  that  thou  hast 
striven  with  God,  like  the  allusion  to  this  passage  in  Hos.  12  :  3  f., 
is  another  instance  of  paronomasia.  See  v.  24(25.  The  added 
phrase  and  with  men,  in  which  the  preposition  should  not  be  italicized, 
is  probably  to  be  interpreted  as  promising  the  success  of  Jacob's 

248 


GENESIS  32  :  32 


29130.   with  men,f  and  hast  prevailed.     And  Jacob  asked 
him,  and  said,  °Tell  me,1  I  pray  thee,  thy  name. 
And  he  said,  °Wherefore  is  it  that  thou  dost  ask  after 
30(3 1.   my  name?    And  °he  blessed  him  there.  |  And  Jacob   E 
called  the  name  of  the  place  °Peniel:   for,  said  he,  I 
have  seen  God2  °face  to  face,  and  my  life  is  pre- 
31132,   served.  |  And  the  sun  rose  upon  him  as  he  °passed   J 
32(33.   over  °Penuel,  and  °he  halted  3  upon  his  thigh.  |  There-   R 
fore  the  children  of  Israel  eat  not  °the  sinew  of  the 

1  So  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.;   Heb.  om.       »  Syr.  an  angel.       3  SV  limped. 

plan  for  appeasing  Esau.     It  is  doubtful,  however,  if  it  was  a  part 
of  the  original  story. 

29(30.  A  name,  it  will  be  remembered,  according  to  the  Hebrew 
conception,  represented  the  person  or  thing  to  which  it  was  applied. 
The  change  in  Jacob's,  therefore,  denotes  a  change  in  his  character, 
and  when  he  in  his  turn  makes  the  request  Tell  me  thy  name,  it  is 
because  he  wishes  to  know  the  nature  of  the  person  with  whom  he 
is  talking.  The  reply  Wherefore,  etc.,  like  the  one  given  toManoah 
under  similar  circumstances,  implies  the  impossibility  of  putting  the 
desired  knowledge  into  human  language.  See  Jud.  13  :  18.  The 
first  and  foremost  of  Jacob's  desires  was  granted :  he  blessed  him. 

3o|3i.  The  natural  inference  from  the  foregoing  is  that  the  divine 
apparition  disappeared  before  he  became  distinctly  visible.  It  is 
therefore  probable  that  this  verse,  in  which  Jacob  is  made  to  say  he 
has  seen  God  face  to  face,  comes  from  an  Ephraimite  version  of  the 
story,  according  to  which  the  meeting  took  place  at  Peniel  (Face  of 
God}.  On  the  vision  of  God  see  16  :  13. 

3 1 [32.  The  place  just  mentioned  is  here  called  Penuel  (also  Face 
of  God).  It  is  not  now,  however,  the  place  where  Jacob  wrestled 
with  God,  but  one  that  he  passed  when,  after  being  blessed,  he  set 
forth  to  overtake  his  family.  Nothing  is  known  of  its  location  except 
that  it  was  above  the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  on  a  road  leading  into  the 
interior  of  Gilead.  See  Jud.  8  :  8.  Merrill  locates  it  at  Tulul  Edh- 
Dhahab,  on  both  sides  of  the  Jabbok,  four  miles  above  the  ford.  He 
halted,  SV  limped,  upon  his  thigh ;  as  he  passed. 

32(33.  The  paragraph  closes  with  a  comment  by  a  priestly  editor, 
who  finds  in  the  story  here  told  the  explanation  of  a  custom  of  his 
day.  The  Jews  did  not  eat  the  sinew  of  the  hip,  better,  the  sinew  of 
the  thigh  nerve,  i.e.,  the  sciatic  nerve,  because  it  covered  the  hollow 
or  socket  of  the  thigh. 

249 


33  :  I  GENESIS 

hip  which  is  upon  the  hollow  of  the  thigh,  unto  this 
day:  because  he  touched  the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh 
in  the  sinew  of  the  hip.1 

J  33.  And  Jacob  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  looked,  and,  be- 
hold, Esau  came,  and  with  him  four  hundred  men. 
And  °he2  divided  the  children  unto  Leah,  and  unto 

2.  Rachel,  and  unto  the  two  handmaids.     And  °he  put  the 
handmaids  and  their  children  foremost,  and  Leah  and  her 

3.  children  after,  and  Rachel  and  Joseph  hindermost.     And 
°he  himself  passed  over  before  them,  and  °bowed  him- 
self to  the  ground  seven  times,  until  he  came  near  to  his 

E     4.   brother.     And  °Esau  ran  to  meet  him,  |  and  embraced 

1  Gr.  adds,  and  it  became  stiff.      »  Gr.  Jacob. 

(c)  The  meeting  between  Jacob  and  Esau,  33  :  1-17.  When 
Esau  appears  Jacob  arranges  his  wives  and  children,  placing  his 
favorites  in  the  rear,  and  advances  with  the  most  profound  obeisances 
to  meet  his  brother.  Esau  receives  him  most  cordially,  but  at  first 
refuses  to  accept  a  present  from  him.  He  finally  takes  it,  at  the 
same  time  offering  to  conduct  Jacob  to  his  destination.  Jacob  de- 
clines even  a  smaller  escort,  and  the  brothers  separate,  Esau  return- 
ing to  Seir  and  Jacob  proceeding  to  Succoth.  The  story  is  mainly 
from  the  Judean  narrative,  with  additions  from  the  Ephraimite  work. 

1.  He  divided  the  children ;  giving  to  each  of  the  women  those 
that  belonged  to  her,  thus  making  four  divisions.     In  32  :  7  he  is 
said  to  have  already  divided  his  whole  company  into  two  parts,  but 
that  passage  is  from  a  different  source. 

2.  He  put  the  handmaids  and  their  children  foremost.    The  reason 
for  this  arrangement  may,  according  to  the  author,  have  been  the 
one  given  in  32  :  8  or  the  desire  to  make  the  introduction  of  his 
family  to  Esau  as  impressive  as  possible. 

3.  He  himself  passed  over  before  them.   Better,  passed  on  before  them, 
took  the  lead.     Bowed  himself  seven  times,  advancing  all  the  time, 
until  he  came  near  to  his  brother.    The  extreme  of  humility,  as  ap- 
pears from  the  Tell  el-Amarna  letters,  required  one  to  prostrate  one's 
self  twice  seven  times. 

4.  Esau  ran  to  meet  him ;  with  characteristic  impetuosity  and  an 
utter  disregard  for  ceremony.    The  display  of  affection  that  follows 
seems  extravagant,  even  for  an  oriental.     It  is,  therefore,  probable 

250 


GENESIS  33  :  10 

him,  |  °and  fell  on  his  neck,  |  and  kissed  him :  |  and  they  l  J,  E,  J 

5.  wept.  |  And  he  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  saw  the  women   E 
and  the  children ;    and  said,  °2  Whose  are  these  with 
thee?2    And  he  said,  The  children  which3  God  hath 

6.  graciously  given  thy  servant.  |  Then  the  handmaids  J 
came  near,  they  and  their  children,  and  they  bowed 

7.  themselves.     And  Leah  also  and  her  children  came  near, 
and  bowed  themselves:   and  after  came  °4  Joseph  near 

8.  and   Rachel,4   and   they   bowed   themselves.     And   he 
said,  5  What  meanest  thou  by 5  °all  6  this  company  8 
which  I  met  ?     And  he  said,  To  find  grace  7  in  the  sight 

9.  of  my  lord.     And  Esau  said,  °I  have  enough ;    °8  my 
10.   brother,8  let  that  thou  hast  be  thine.     And  Jacob  said, 

Nay,  I  pray  thee,  if  now  I  have  found  grace  7  in  thy 
sight,  then  receive  my  present  °  at  my  hand : 10  forasmuch 
as  10  °I  have  seen  thy  face,  °as  one  seeth  the  face  of 

1  Gr.  both;  Vg.  he.  '  Syr.  Whence  hast  thou  these?  3  SV  whom.  *  Gr.  Ra- 
chel .  .  .  Joseph.  s  Syr.  Whence  hast  thou.  6  Gr.  these  companies.  1  SV  favor. 
8  SV  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  attach  these  words  to  the  preceding  clause;  Syr.  adds,  therefore. 
°  Gr.  plu.  I0  SV  for  therefore. 

that  the  description  of  it  is  composite.  If  so,  and  fell  on  his  neck, 
and  they,  or  he,  wept  may  be  attributed  to  the  Judean,  and  the  rest 
to  the  Ephraimite,  writer. 

5.  It  is  the  latter  who  makes  Esau  ask  with  unconcealed  surprise, 
Whose  are  these  with  thee  ?  See  the  name  God  in  the  answer.  For 
the  proper  continuation  of  the  Judean  story  see  v.  6. 

7.  Joseph  and  Rachel.    The  Greek  Version  has  Rachel  and  Joseph, 
the  more  natural,  but  in  this  case,  perhaps,  not  the  original,  reading. 

8.  All  this  company ;   the  droves  of  cattle  that  Jacob  sent  in  ad- 
vance. 

9.  I  have   enough.     Better,   plenty   (Heb.   much).    Nothing  has 
hitherto   been   said   about   Esau's   possessions.     In   36  :  6   f.    he   is 
credited  by  the  Priestly  author  with  "  great  substance."     My  brother. 
The  English  Revisers  have  followed  the  punctuation  of  the  original, 
but  it  is  more  natural,  with  AV,  SV,  and  the  Versions,  to  connect  it 
with  the  preceding  clause.     See  i  Sam.  20  :  29;  2  Sam.  i  :  26. 

10.  I  have  seen  thy  face.     Better,  I  saw  thy  face,  came  to  meet 
thee.     As  one  seeth  the  face  of  God ;  with  the  same  dread  with  which 

251 


33  :  ii  GENESIS 


E  11.  God,1  and  °thou  wast  pleased  with  me.  |  °Take,  I 
pray  thee,  my  gift 2  that  is 3  brought  to  thee ;  because 
°God  hath  dealt  graciously  with  me,  and  because  °I 
have  enough.  And  he  urged  him,  and  he  took  it.  | 

J   12.   And  he  said,  Let  us  take  our  journey,  and  let  us  go, 

13.  4  and  °I  will  go  before  thee.4    And  he  said  unto  him, 
My  lord  knoweth  that  the  children  are  tender,  and  that 
the  flocks  and  herds  with  me  give  suck :  and  °if  they 5* 

14.  overdrive  them  one  day,  °all  the  flocks6  will  die.     °Let 
my  lord,  I  pray  thee,  pass  over  before  his  servant:  and 
I  will  lead  on  softly,  according  to  the  pace  of  the  cattle 
that  is  7  before  me  and  according  to  the  pace  of  the 

15.  children,  until  I  come  unto  my  lord  °unto  Seir.    And 

1  Syr.  an  angel.       *  Gr.  plu.      3  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  I  have.      *  Gr.  straightfor- 
ward,     s  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  /.       «  Gr.  cattle.        1  SV  are. 

one  goes  to  a  sanctuary.  See  i  Sam.  10  :  4.  The  phrase  the  face  of 
God  is  a  play  upon  Penuel,  near  which  the  scene  is  laid.  Thou  wast 
pleased  with  me.  The  idea  is  that,  just  as  one  who  is  favorably 
received  at  a  sanctuary  gladly  leaves  an  offering  there,  so  he,  Jacob, 
having  been  so  cordially  welcomed  by  Esau,  would  make  him  a 
present. 

11.  Take,  I  pray  thee,  my  gift;  the  Ephraimite  parallel  to  v.  10, 
with  a  different  reason:  God  hath  dealt  graciously  with  me.     I  have 
enough.     See  v.  9. 

12.  I  will  go  before  thee.    Thus  the  hostile  array  that  Jacob 
feared  would  become  an  escort. 

13.  If  they  overdrive  them.     Read,  with  the  Samaritans  and  the 
Versions,  if  I  overdrive  them.     Jacob  gives  only  one  of  his  reasons  for 
declining  Esau's  offer.    The  other  was,  that  he  was  still  afraid  of 
him.     All  the  flocks ;  the  smaller  and  weaker  cattle.     See  the  Greek 
reading. 

14.  Let  my  lord  pass  over.     Here,  again,  the  rendering  is  mis- 
leading.    It  gives  the  impression  that  Jacob  was  headed  for  the 
Jordan.    This  was  not  the  case.     If  it  had  been,  he  could  hardly 
have  deceived   his  brother  with  reference  to  his  route.     He   misled 
him  by  entreating  him  to  pass  on  southward,  promising  to  follow  as 
rapidly  as  he  could  unto  Seir.     He  could  then  proceed  to  Beer-sheba 
by  the  route  round  the  southern  end  of  the  Dead  Sea. 

15.  Jacob,   however,   does  not  intend  to  visit  Seir.    Therefore, 

252 


GENESIS  33  :  17 


Esau  said,  Let  me  now  leave  with  thee  °some  of  the 
folk  that  are  with  me.     And  he  *  said,  °What  needeth 

16.  it?   let   me   find  grace2  in  the  sight  of  my  lord.     So 

17.  Esau  returned  that  day  on  his  way  unto  Seir.  And  Jacob 
°journeyed  to  Succoth,  and  °built  him  3  an  house,3  and 
°made  booths  4  for  his  cattle :    therefore  the  name  of 
the  place  is  called  °Succoth. 

1  Syr.  Jacob.      '  SV  favor.      3  Gr.  houses  there.      *  Syr.  a  shelter. 

when  Esau  begs  him  to  allow  some  of  the  folk  to  remain  with  him, 
he  replies,  What  needeth  it?  there  is  no  danger,  adding,  let  me 
find  grace  in  the  sight  of  my  lord,  i.e.,  begging  his  pardon  for 
declining. 

17.  When  Esau  finally  returned  to  his  own  country,  Jacob  changed 
his  course  and  journeyed  to  Succoth.  The  site  of  this  place  is  in 
dispute,  but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  was  situated  between 
Penuel  and  the  Jordan,  and  not  far  from  the  latter ;  for,  when  Gideon 
crossed  the  river  in  pursuit  of  theMidianites,  the  first  place  he  reached 
was  Succoth,  and  he  had  to  go  up  from  it  to  Penuel.  See  Jud.  8:5, 
8.  The  fact  that  Succoth  was  thus  on  the  line  of  retreat  of  theMidian- 
ites, who,  as  Moore  (Judges,  213  f.)  has  shown,  must  have  crossed 
the  Jordan  at  the  Damieh  ford,  indicates  that  it  was  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Jabbok,  and  not,  as  Merrill  (EJ,  385  ff.),  following  the 
Jerusalem  Talmud,  insists,  at  Tell  Deir  Alia,  just  north  of  that  stream. 
The  view  here  expressed  is  supported  by  i  Kgs.  7  :  46,  where  the 
original  reading  was  doubtless,  not  "  in  the  clay  ground,"  but  "  at 
the  ford  of  Adamah  "  (Damieh),  "between  Succoth  and  Zarethan." 
At  Succoth  Jacob  built  him  an  house,  discarding  his  tents,  as  a 
preparation  for  spending  some  time  there.  He  also  made  booths,  as 
shelters  for  his  cattle  in  the  winter.  Hence  the  name  Succoth 
(Booths). 

(d)  The  story  of  Dinah,  33  :  18-34  :  31.  From  Succoth  Jacob 
removes  to  Shechem.  While  there  Shechem  seizes  Dinah  and  seeks 
to  make  her  his  wife.  Jacob  and  his  sons  at  first  pretend  to  be  dis- 
posed to  agree  to  this  proposal,  stipulating  only  that  Shechem  and 
his  people  submit  to  circumcision.  When,  however,  all  the  males 
of  the  place  have  been  circumcised,  the  sons  of  Jacob  take  advantage 
of  their  helplessness  to  put  them  to  death  and  carry  off  their  wives 
and  children  and  their  possessions.  There  is  difference  of  opinion 
with  reference  to  the  composition  of  the  story,  but  it  is  agreed  that 
it  is  a  double  narrative,  one  strand  coming  from  the  Judean,  the 

253 


33  :  i8  GENESIS 


E  1 8.  And  Jacob  came  01  in  peace  to  the  *  city  of  Shechem,  | 
P  which  is  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  when  he  came  from 
E  19.  Paddan-aram :  |  and  encamped  °before  the  city.  And 

he  bought  °the  parcel  of  ground,  2  where  he  had  spread 

his  tent,2  at  the  hand  of  °the  children  of  Hamor,  °She- 
20.  chem's  father,  for  an  hundred  °3  pieces  of  money.3  And  he 

°erected  there  an  altar,  and  called  4  it  °El-elohe-4Israel.  | 
E  34.  And  °Dinah  the  daughter  of  Leah,  which  5  she  bare 

unto  Jacob,  went  out  to  see  the  daughters  of  the  land. 

1  m.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  to  Salem.  '  Syr.  om.  3  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  sheep.  *  Gr.  on 
the  God  of;  Vg.  over  it  the  mighty  God  of.  J  SV  whom. 

other  from  a  later,  source.    The  latter  is  by  some  identified  with  the 
Ephraimite,  by  others  with  the  Priestly,  narrative. 

18.  The  word  rendered  in  peace,  which  AV,  following  the  Versions, 
makes  a  proper  name,  may  also  be  translated  safe,  unharmed.     Be- 
fore the  city ;   to  the  east  of  it. 

19.  The  parcel  of  ground,  where  he  had  spread  his  tent  is  identified 
in  Jn.  4  :  5  with  that  where  Jacob's  well  was  located,  on  the  edge  of 
the  plain  about  the  foot  of  Gerizim,  a  mile  east  of  Nabulus,  the 
modern  Shechem.     In  the  neighborhood  was  the  oak  near  which 
Abraham  encamped.     See  12  :  6.     Here,  according   to   the  Ephra- 
imite author,  and  not  at  Succoth,  Jacob  made  his  home  for  some 
years  after  his  return  from  the  East.     See  v.  17.     The  children  of 
Hamor  are  here  the  people  of  Shechem.     See  Jud.  9  :  28.     He  also 
had  children  in  the  stricter  sense,  one  of  whom  was  Shechem.    The 
word  rendered  pieces,  found  elsewhere  only  in  Josh.  24  :  32  and  Jb. 
42  :  n,  was  probably  a  weight,  but  its  size  is  unknown.     Compare 
Enc.  Bib.,  art.  Kesitah.    Compare  48  :  22,  where  Jacob  boasts  of  re- 
quiring "  a  portion  "  by  a  more  violent  method. 

20.  The  received  text  says  that  here,  where  Abraham  worshipped, 
Jacob,  also,  erected  an  altar.    The  word  rendered  erected,  however, 
is  not  elsewhere  used  of  altars,  but  is  employed  in  35  :  14,  20  of 
pillars.     It  is  therefore  probable  that  in  this  case  the  original  read- 
ing was  either,  he  erected  there  a  pillar,  or,  he  erected  there  a  pillar 
and  built  an  altar.     El-elohe-Israel ;   God,  the  God  of  Israel.     See 

i.  Dinah,  according  to  30  :  21,  was  Leah's  seventh  child. 
She  could  not,  therefore,  have  been  born  long  before  the  family  left 
Mesopotamia.  Hence  the  necessity  of  supposing  the  author  of  this 
verse  (E)  to  have  taught  that  Jacob  had  spent  several  years  at  Shechem 

254 


GENESIS  34  :  7 


2.  And  Shechem  the  son  of  Hamor  the  °Hivite,1  the  °prince 
of  the  land,  saw  her;  |  and  °he  took  her,  and  lay  with   J 

3.  her,  and  humbled  her;    And  °his  soul  clave  unto  Dinah 

the  daughter  of  Jacob,  |  and  he  loved  the  damsel,  |  and  E,  J 

4.  °spake  kindly  unto  the  damsel.  |  And  Shechem  °spake   E 
unto  his  father  Hamor,2  saying,  Get  me  this  damsel  to 

5.  wife.  |  Now  Jacob  heard  that  he3  had  denied  Dinah   J 
his  daughter ;  and  °his  sons  were  with  his  cattle  in  °the 

6.  field :  and  Jacob  held  his  peace  until  they  came.  |  And   E 
°Hamor  the  father  of  Shechem  went  out  unto  Jacob 

7.  to    commune    with    him.  |   And    °the   sons   of    Jacob  J 
came  in  from  the  field  when  they  heard  it:    and  the 

1  Gr.  Horite.       *  Sam.  om.      3  Gr.  [Shechem}  the  son  of  II amor. 

before  the  events  narrated  in  the  story  of  Dinah  took  place.  The 
Book  of  Jubilees  (30  :  i)  says  that  she  was  twelve  years  old  when  she 
was  kidnapped.  The  Judean  narrative  provides  for  an  indefinite 
interval  in  the  stay  at  Succoth.  See  33  :  17. 

2.  On  the  Hivite,  better,  Hiwite,  see  10  :  17.    The  title  prince  of 
the  land  belongs  to  Hamor,  not  Shechem.     See  33  :  19.    The  author 
thus  far  cited  (E)  seems  not  to  have  represented  Shechem  as  out- 
raging the  girl,  but  the  Judean  distinctly  says  that  he  took  her,  and 
humbled  her. 

3.  The  writer  takes  pains  to  explain  that  the  young  man  was  not 
prompted  by  mere  wantonness,  but  that  his  soul  clave  unto  Dinah, 
also  that  he  spake  kindly  to  her,  by  this  means  seeking  to  reconcile 
her  to  his  rough,  but  not  uncommon,  method  of  wooing.     See  Jud. 
21  :  23. 

4.  According  to  the  Ephraimite  narrative  Shechem,   instead  of 
taking  the  matter  into  his  own  hands,  spake  unto  his  father  Hamor, 
as  he  would  be  expected  to  do.    The  result  is  given  in  v.  6. 

5.  Between  the  two  is  inserted  another  bit  from  the  older  version. 
His  sons  were  with  his  cattle.    They  were  all,  with  the  exception  of 
Joseph,   older   than  Dinah.      The   field;    probably   the   plain   now 
called  el-Makhna,  stretching   away   southward   for   seven   or   eight 
miles  from  the  site  of  Jacob's  camp. 

6.  Hamor  went  out,  from  the  city,  alone,  unto  Jacob ;  a  continua- 
tion of  v.  4. 

7.  Now  follows  the  continuation  of  v.  5.     Note  that  the  sons  of 

255 


34  :  8  GENESIS 


°men  were  grieved,  and  they  were  very  wroth,  because  he 

had  wrought  folly  in  °Israel  in  lying  with  Jacob's  daugh- 

E     8.   ter;  which  thing  ought  not  to  be  done.  |  And  Hamor 

communed  with  them,  saying,  °The  soul  of  nay  son  She- 

chem  longeth  for  your  daughter :  I  pray  you  give  her  unto 

9.    him  to  wife.    And  make  ye  marriages  with  us ;  °give  your 

daughters  unto  us,  and  take  our  daughters  unto  you.1 

10.  And  ye  shall  dwell  with  us :  and  the  land  shall  be  before 

11.  you ;  °dwell  and  trade  ye  therein  and  get  you  possessions 
J           therein.  |  And  °Shechem  said  unto  her  father  and  unto 

her  brethren,  Let  me  find  grace 2  in  your  eyes,  and  what3 

12.  ye  shall  say4  unto  me4  I5  will  give.    °Ask  me  never  so 
much  dowry*  and  gift,f  and  I  will  give  according  as  ye 

13.  shall  say  unto  me :  but  give  me  the6  damsel  to  wife.    And 
the  sons  of  Jacob  answered  Shechem  °*  and  Hamor 7 

R  his  father|  with  guile,  and  spake,  |  °because  he  had 

'Gr.   your  sons.      "SV  favor.      3  Syr.   all  that.      <Gr.  Vg.  om.       *Gr.  we. 
6  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  this.      »  Vg.  om. 

Jacob  are  here  called  men.  The  name  Israel,  which  is  here  used 
for  the  first  time  in  the  Old  Testament  of  the  Hebrew  people,  is  evi- 
dence that  the  story  of  Dinah  in  the  older  of  the  two  versions  com- 
bined in  this  chapter  is  much  later  than  the  time  of  Jacob.  See  Jud. 
20  :  6,  10.  On  the  final  clause  see  20  :  9. 

8.  The  soul  of  my  son  longeth  for  your  daughter.     The  sons  were 
present  at  the  interview,  but  there  is  no  mention  of  violence. 

9.  Give  your  daughters  unto  us.     Since  Jacob  had  but  one  daugh- 
ter, and  his  sons,  so  far  as  known,  none,  the  plural  must  be  inter- 
preted as  referring  to  future  female  members  of  the  family. 

10.  Dwell  and  trade  ye  therein.     The  word  rendered  trade  implies 
freedom  to  go  back  and  forth  on  business.     See  42  :  34. 

11.  Shechem  said  unto  her  father  ;  according  to  the  older  authority 
pleading  his  own  cause. 

12.  Ask  me  never  so  much  dowry;  more  exactly,  lay  upon  me  a 
very  great  price. 

13.  Hamor  had  no  voice  in  the  preceding  plea.     The  words  and 
Hamor  his  father  are  therefore  foreign  to  the  text,  while  the  last 
clause,  because  he,  lit.  who,  etc.,  is  even  more  clearly  an  editorial 
addition. 

256 


GENESIS 


14.  defiled  Dinah  their  sister,  |  and  said 1  °*2  unto  them,2f  J 
We  cannot  do  this  thing,  °to  give  our  sister  to  one  that 

is  uncircumcised ;  for  that  were  a  reproach  unto  us  :  | 

15.  only  on  this  condition  will  we  consent  unto  you3:  if  E 
ye  will  be  as  we  be,4  °that  every  male  of  you  be  circum- 

16.  cised5;  then  will  we  give  our  daughters  unto  you,  and 
we  will  take  8  your  daughters  to  us,6  and  we  will  dwell 

17.  with  you,  and  we  will  become  one  people.     But  if  ye 
will  not  hearken  unto  us,  to  be  circumcised  ;  then  °will 

1 8.  we  take  our  daughter,  and  we  will  be  gone.     And  their 
words  pleased  Hamor,  and  Shechem  °Hamor's 7*  son.  | 

19.  And  the  young  man  deferred  not  to  do  °the  thing,  be- 
cause he  had  delight  in  Jacob's  daughter :   and  he  was  J 

20.  honoured   above    °all  the  house  of   his  father.  |  And  E 

1  Gr.  Simeon  and  Levi  the  brethren  of  Dinah,  the  sons  of  Leah,  said.  *  Syr.  om. 
3  Gr.  adds,  and  dwell  among  you.  *  SV  are.  s  Syr.  adds,  as  we  are  circumcised. 
6  Gr.  to  us  of  your  daughters  wives.  '  Sam.  Syr.  his. 

14.  Omit,  also,  with  the  Syriac  Version,  unto  them.     The  whole 
will  then  read,  The  sons  of  Jacob  answered  Shechem  -with  guile,  and 
spake  and  said.     In  the  Greek  Version  the  words  that  follow  are  at- 
tributed to  Simeon  and  Levi,  but  these  names,  if  they  belong  in  the 
text,  should  appear  in  v.  13.     See  v.  30.      To  give  our  sister  to  one 
that  is  uncircumcised.     It  is  implied  that  they  will  give  her  to  him 
if  he  will  submit  to  circumcision. 

15.  Thus  far  the  Judean  author;  the  Ephraimite  reports  a  different 
requirement,  viz.,  that  every  male  of  you  be  circumcised. 

17.  Will  we  take  our  daughter,  and  we  will  be  gone,  does  not 
force,  for,  according  to  the  author  of  this  passage,  Dinah  is 

with  the  family  ;  but  simply  means  that  they  will  remove  from 
Shechem  in  spite  of  the  inducements  offered,  rather  than  give  Dinah 
to  her  suitor  except  on  the  terms  stated. 

18.  For  Hamor's  son  read,  as  in  vs.  20,  24,  with  the  Samaritans, 
his  son. 

19.  The  thing  here  meant  is  the  thing  required  of  him  in  v.  14, 
that  he  be  circumcised.     All  the  house ;  all  the  rest  of  the  house. 
The  sympathy  of   the  writer  is  evidently  with  the  young  man,  in 
spite  of  his  humiliation  of  Dinah. 

20.  The  Ephraimite  author  tells  a  different  story.     The  thing  he 

S  257 


*  /  • 

imply  f 
still  wit 


34:21  GENESIS 


Hamor  and  Shechem  his  son  came  unto  °the  gate  of 
their  city,  and  communed  with  °the  men  of  their  city, 

21.  saying,  These  men  are  peaceable  with  us;  °therefore  l* 
let  them  dwell  in  the  land,  and  trade  therein,;   for,  be- 
hold, °the  land  is  large  enough  for  them ;  let  us  take  their 
daughters  to  us  for  wives,  and  let  us  give  them  our  daugh- 

22.  ters.     Only  on  this  condition  will  the  men  consent  unto 
us  to  dwell  with  us,  to  become  one  people,  if  every  male 
among  us  be  circumcised,  as  they  are  circumcised.  | 

R   23.    °Shall  not  their  cattle  and  their  substance  and  all2 
E          their  beasts  be  ours?  |  only3  let  us  consent  unto  them, 

24.  and  they  will  dwell  with  us.    .And  unto  Hamor  and  unto 
Shechem  his  son  hearkened  all  that  went  out  of  the  gate 
of  his  4  city ;  and  every  male  was  circumcised,  *5  all  that 

25.  went  out  of  the  gate  of  his  city.5f    And  it  came  to  pass 
J  on  the  third  day,  °when  they  were  sore,    that  two  of  the 

sons  of  Jacob,  Simeon  and  Levi,  Dinah's  brethren,  took 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  om.     »  Gr.  om.     3  Gr.  adds,  in  this.     <  Gr.  their,     s  Gr.  Vg.  om. 

represents  the  sons  of  Jacob  as  requiring  of  Hamor  and  Shechem 
could  not  be  done  without  consultation  with  the  men  of  their  city, 
the  place  of  assembly  being  the  gate  of  their  city,  as  usual. 

21.  Omit  therefore  (Heb.  and)  and  read,  with  the  Samaritans, 
with  us  let  them  dwell.  By  the  land  is  large  enough  for  them,  of 
course,  is  meant  for  us  and  them. 

23.  Shall  not  their  cattle  ...  be  ours  ?    This  appeal  to  a  vulgar 
cupidity  is  so  unworthy  of  the  persons  into  whose  mouths  it  is  put 
that  it  can  hardly  be  attributed  to  the  author  of  the  preceding  verses. 

24.  There  is  no  emphasis  on  the  objects  Hamor  and  Shechem  in 
the  original.     It  would  therefore  be  better  to  render,  And  all  that 
went  out  of  the  gate  of  the  city  hearkened,  etc.    The  last  clause,  which 
is  a  useless  repetition,  and  is  omitted  by  the  Greek  and  Latin  Ver- 
sions, seems  to  be  a  copyist's  error. 

25.  When  they  were  sore ;  the  inflammation  then  being  at  its  height. 
The  proper  continuation  of  this  clause  would  be,  the  sons  of  Jacob 
took  each  man  his  sword,  but  the  compiler  has  inserted  the  names  of 
Simeon  and  Levi  from  the  parallel   (J)   narrative,  thus  making  it 
appear  that  these  two  slew  all  the  males  of  the  city. 

258 


GENESIS 


each  man  his  sword,  |  and  came  upon  the  city  un-   E 

26.  awares,1  and  slew  all  the  males.  |  And  they  slew  *  Ha-   J 
mor  and  f  Shechem  *  his  son  f  with  the  edge  of  the 
sword,  and  took  Dinah  2  out  of  Shechem's  house,  and 

27.  went  forth.  |  The  3  sons  of  Jacob  came  upon  the  slain,4   E 
and  spoiled  5   the  city,  |  °because  they  had  denied 6  R 

28.  their  sister.  |  °They  7  took  their  flocks  and  their  herds   E 
and  their  asses,  and  that 8  which  was  in  the  city,  and 

29.  that 8  which  was  in  the  field ;   and  all  their  wealth,  and 
all 9  their  little  ones  and  their  wives,  took  they  captive 

30.  |  10  and  spoiled,  even  *  all  that  was  in  the  house.10    And  J 
Jacob  said  to  Simeon  and  Levi,  °Ye  have  troubled  me, 
°to  make  me  n  to  stink  among  "  the  inhabitants  of  the 
land,  *  among  °the  Canaanites  and  the  Perizzites  f :  and, 

*  m.  boldly.  *  Syr.  adds,  their  sister.  J  Gr.  Syr.  And  the.  *  Gr.  wounded,  s  SV 
Plundered.  6  Gr.  Syr.  add,  Dinah.  '  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  And  they.  8  Gr.  Vg.  all  that. 
»  Sam.  Vg.  om.  lo  SV  and  made  a  Prey,  etc.;  Gr.  And  they  plundered  whatever 
was  in  the  city  and  whatever  was  in  the  houses;  Syr.  And  they  plundered  all  that 
was  in  the  city.  "  SV  odious. 

26.  This  is  incredible,  but  there  is  nothing  incredible  in  the  state- 
ment from  the  Judean  narrative  that  they  (Simeon  and  Levi)  slew 
Shechem  and  took  Dinah  from  his  house. 

27.  Here,  again,  because  they  (lit.  who)  had  defiled  their  sister  is  a 
gloss.     Shechem  alone  was  guilty. 

28.  For  they  read  And  they,  thus  connecting  this  verse  with  27a. 
The  latter  half  of   the  verse  might  be  rendered,  both   those  (flocks, 
etc.)  that  were  in  the  city,  and  those  that  were  in  the  field. 

29.  The  latter  part  of  the  verse,  which  is  evidently  a  fragment 
from  the  Judean  narrative  and  the  continuation  of  v.   26,  should 
read,  And  they  plundered  all  that  was  in  the  house. 

30.  The  older  version  of  this  story,  it  seems,  was  less  gruesome 
than  the  later,  involving  the  death  of  but  one  person,  and  he  the  one 
that  had  seriously  offended  against  his  slayers.     It   now  appears 
that  Jacob  himself  had  no  hand  in  the  death  of  Shechem.     Indeed, 
he  promptly  and  severely  condemns  the  act  as  being  unwise  as  well  as 
cruel,  saying  to  Simeon  and  Levi,  Ye  have  troubled  me.    The  expres- 
sion is  one  of  deep  distress.     See  Jud.  n  :  35.     To  make  me  to  stink 
is  a  Hebrew  idiom  for  making  me  odious.    The  Canaanites  and  the  Periz- 
zites do  not  belong  here.     Hamor,  according  to  v.  2,  was  a  Hivite. 

259 


GENESIS 


I  being  few  in  number,   they  will  gather  themselves 

together  against  me  and  smite  me;    and  I  shall  be  de- 

31.   stroyed,  I  and  my  house.     And  they  said,  Should  he 

deal  with  our  sister  as  with  an  harlot? 

E  35.  And  °God  said  unto  Jacob,  Arise,  °go  up  'to  Beth-el,1 
and  °dwell  there:  and  °make  there  an  altar  unto  God, 
who  appeared  unto  thee  when  thou  fleddest  from  the 

2.  face  of  Esau  thy  brother.     Then  Jacob  said  unto  his 
household,  and  to  all  that  were  with  him,  °Put  away 
the  strange2  gods  that  are  among  you,   and   °purify 

3.  yourselves,  and  °change  your  garments :  and  let  us  arise, 
and  go  up  to  Beth-el ;  and  3 1  will 3  make  there  an  altar 
unto  God,  who  °answered  me  in  the  day  of  my  distress, 

1  Gr.  the  place  Bethel.      *  SV  foreign.      3  Gr.  Vg.  let  us. 


31.  The  Judean  story  closes  with  this  verse;  the  conclusion  of 
the  other  version  has  been  omitted. 

(e)  The  return  to  Bethel,  35  :  1-15.  Jacob  in  obedience  to  a 
divine  command,  after  purging  his  household,  goes  up  to  Bethel, 
where  he  builds  an  altar  to  his  God.  While  there  God  appears  to 
him  and,  after  again  announcing  the  change  in  his  name,  bestows 
upon  him  a  blessing.  Jacob  then  sets  up  another  pillar  and  re- 
names the  place  Bethel.  The  first  half  of  the  paragraph  is  almost 
entirely  from  the  Ephraimite,  the  second  from  the  Priestly,  nar- 
rative. 

1.  God  said  unto  Jacob ;    not  long  after  the  affair  of  Dinah.     Go 
up  to  Beth-el.     Bethel  is  about  a  thousand  feet  higher  than  Shechem. 
Dwell  there ;   make  a  considerable  stay.     Make  there  an  altar ;  ful- 
filling the  vow  recorded  in  28  :  22. 

2.  His  vow,  however,  required  him  not  only  to  build  an  altar  and 
make  certain  sacrifices,  but  to  devote  himself  exclusively  to  the  God 
of  Bethel.     Hence  his  command,  Put  away  the  strange  gods,  which 
implies  that  Rachel's  teraphim  was  not  the  only  image  brought  from 
Mesopotamia.     Purify  yourselves;  by  bathing  and  carefully  abstain- 
ing from  everything  that  defiles,  in  anticipation  of  the  sacred  cere- 
monies  at   Bethel.     Change   your   garments.    The   same  garments 
might  be  used  if  they  were  washed.     See  Ex.  19  :  10  ff. 

3.  Answered  me ;  in  the  theophany  at  Bethel,  when  he  was  fleeing 

260 


GENESIS 


4.  and   °was  with  me 1  in  the  way  which  I  went.     And 
they  gave  unto  Jacob  all 2  the  strange 3  gods  which  were 
in  their  hand,  and  °the  rings  which  were  in  their  ears ; 
and   Jacob  hid  them  under  °the  oak 4  which  was  by 

5.  Shechem.5      And    °they 6   journeyed7:    and    °a    great 
8  terror 8  was  upon  the  cities  that  were  round  about 
them,   and   °they  did  not  pursue  after  9  the  sons  of 

6.  Jacob.9  |  So  Jacob  came  to  Luz,  which  is  in  the  land  P 
of  Canaan  (the  same  is  Beth-el),  |  he  and  all  the  people  E 

7.  that  were  with  him.     And  °he  built  there  an  altar,  and 
called  10  the  place  El-beth-el  n :  because  there  God  was 
revealed  unto  him,  when  he  fled  from  the  face  of  12  his 

8.  brother.12    And  Deborah   Rebekah's   nurse  died,  and 

1  Gr.  adds,  and  saved  me.  *  Gr.  om.  3  SV  foreign.  *  m.  terebinth.  *  Gr. 
adds,  and,  destroyed-  them  unto  this  day.  6  Gr.  Israel.  ?  Gr.  adds,  from  Shechem. 
*  SV  terror  of  God.  9  Syr.  Jacob  and  after  his  sons.  I0  Gr.  Vg.  add,  the  name  of. 
11  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Bethel.  "  Heb.  mss.  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  Esau  his  brother. 

from  Esau.     Was  with  me.     Better,  has  been  with  me,  for  the  way 
which  I  went  must  include  all  his  experience  since  he  left  home. 

4.  The  rings  in  their  ears  were  surrendered,  because,  like  many  of 
the  ornaments  worn  by  modern  orientals,  men  and  women,  they 
were  regarded  as  amulets.     The  oak,  or,  better,  as  in  the  margin, 
terebinth,  is  the  same  near  which  Abraham  encamped.     See  12:6. 

5.  They  journeyed.     Better,  set  forth  or  departed.     A  great  terror; 
lit.  a  terror  of  God,  as  in  SV.     They  did  not  pursue  after  the  sons  of 
Jacob  ;    to  avenge  the  slaughter  of  the  Shechemites. 

6.  The  first  half  of  this  verse  is  the  introduction  to  the  extract 
from  the  Priestly  narrative  beginning  at  v.  9. 

7.  He  called  the  place  El-beth-el  (The  God  of  Bethel}.      Another 
writer,  in  v.  15,  says  that  the  name  given  to  it  was  Bethel,  and  that, 
according  to  the  Versions,  should  be  the  reading  in  this  passage. 
In  the  Judean  narrative  (24  :  19),  also,  the  name  is  Bethel,  but  this 
authority  says  that  it  was  given  when  Jacob  visited  the  place  the 
first  time.     It  seems  best  to  preserve  the  present  reading  and  explain 
the  discrepancy  between  this  and  the  other  sources  as  the  result  of 
variation  from  a  common  tradition. 

8.  In  24  :  59  Rebekah's  nurse  is  said  to  have  come  to  Canaan 
with  Abraham's  steward.    That,   according  to  the  Priestly  writer, 
was  at  least  eighty  years  before  Jacob's  return  from  Mesopotamia. 

261 


35  :  9  GENESIS 


she  was  buried  below  Beth-el  under  °the  oak:    and 

P     9.   the  name  of  it  was  called  °Allon-bacuth.  |  And  God 

appeared  unto   Jacob   °again,1*   when  he  came  from 

R  10.   Paddan-aram,    and 2    blessed    him.  |  And    God    said 

unto  him,  3  Thy  name  is  Jacob  3 :    thy  name  shall  not 

be  called  any  more  Jacob,   but   Israel  shall    be  thy 

P   ii.   name :    4  and  he  called  his  name  Israel.4  |  And  God 

said  unto  him,  I  am  5  God  Almighty 5 :   be  fruitful  and 

multiply ;    6  a  nation  8  and   7  a  company  7  of  nations 

shall  be  of  thee,  and  kings  shall  come  out  of  thy  loins; 

12.  and  the  8  land  which  I  gave  9  unto  Abraham  and  Isaac, 
to  thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee  *  will  I 

13.  I  give  the  land.f     And  °God  went  up  from  him  in  10  the 


1  Gr.  adds,  in  Luz.  *  Sam.  Gr.  add,  God.  *  Vg.  Syr.  om.  *  Gr.  om.  s  Gr. 
thy  God;  Syr.  adds,  God.  6  Gr.  nations.  ^  Gr.  companies.  8  Gr.  this.  »  Syr. 
promised.  I0  Gr.  from. 


See  25  :  20,  26;  26  :  34;  31  :  38.  On  the  basis  of  the  composite 
story,  therefore,  she  must  have  been  considerably  more  than  a  hun- 
dred years  of  age  at  her  death.  This  result  can  be  avoided  by  ignor- 
ing the  figures  of  the  Priestly  narrative  and  supposing  that  tradition 
was  uncertain  about  the  time  when  Deborah  came  to  Canaan.  The 
oak.  Better,  an  oak,  a  solitary  tree  which  thenceforward  bore  her 
name.  In  Jud.  4:5  it  is  called  a  palm,  and  Rebekah's  nurse  is 
confounded  with  the  Deborah  the  prophetess.  The  same  passage 
says  it  was  "  between  Raman  and  Bethel."  Allon-bacuth ;  Oak  of 
weeping. 

9.  Thus  far  the   Ephraimite   author.    There  follows  a   parallel 
passage  from  the  Priestly  narrative.    The  word  again  at  first  sight 
seems  to  indicate  that  the  author  of  this  work  recorded  two  visits, 
but  it  is  more  probable  that  it  was  inserted  by  the  editor,  like  the 
reference  to  "  the  first  famine  "  in  26  :  i. 

10.  The  hand  of  the  editor  is  seen  in  this  verse,  also.     He  inter- 
rupts  the  story  he  is  quoting  to  give  his  version  of  the  change  in 
Jacob's  name  and  prepare  the  reader  for  the  appearance  of  Israel 
for  Jacob  in  the  Judean  narrative  from  v.  21  onward.    The  verse  is 
abbreviated  in  the  Versions. 

ii  f.  On  the  promises  here  given  see  17  :  5  ff. 
13.   God  went  up  from  him.     See  17  :  22. 
262 


GENESIS 


14.  place  where  he  spake  with  him.  |  And  Jacob  set  up  °a  E 
pillar  *  in  the  place  where  he  spake  with  him,f  a  pillar 

of  stone :  and  he  poured  out  l  a  drink  offering  1  thereon, 

15.  *  and  poured  oil  thereon. f  |  And  Jacob  called  the  name  P 
of  the  place  where  God  spake  with  him,  Beth-el. 

16.  And  they  2  journeyed  from  Beth-el 3;  4  and  there  was   j 
still  °some  way  to  come  to  °Ephrath  4 :    and  Rachel 


1  Syr.  drink  offerings.  *  Gr.  Jacob.  3  Gr.  adds,  and  pitched  his  tent  beyond 
the  lower  of  Gader.  *  Gr.  and  it  came  to  pass  when  he  drew  near  Chabralha  in  the 
land  to  come  to  Ephratha;  Vg.  When  in  the  spring  he  came  to  the  land  that  leads 
to  Ephrala;  Syr.  and  he  -went  again  the  distance  of  a  parasang  of  land  to  come  to 
Ephrath. 


14.  This  verse  is  full  of  difficulties.     It  certainly  does  not  belong 
in  its  present  setting,  for  the  Priestly  author  would  not  countenance 
a  pillar.    The  most  plausible  disposition  of  it  seems  to  be  to  attribute 
it,  in  its  original  form,  to  the  Ephraimite  writer,  supposing  that  it 
once  followed  v.  8  and  described  the  erection  of  a  monument  to 
Deborah,  but  was  removed  to  its  present  position  and  adjusted  to 
the  context  by  the  compiler.     See  v.  20.    The  last  clause  was  bor- 
rowed from  28  :  19.     It  was  probably  added  to  indicate  that  the 
libation  in  this,  as  in  the  other  case,  consisted  of  oil.     It  may,  how- 
ever, have  been  of  wine.    The  Jews,  according  to  Dt.  26  :  14,  some- 
times observed  the  ancient  custom  of  placing  food  on  the  graves  of 
their  dead,  and  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  they  also  provided 
them  with  drink. 

15.  Here,  again,  the  naming  of  Bethel  is  reported,  this  time  by 
the  Priestly  author.    On  the  significance  of  the  repetition  of  the  inci- 
dent, see  v.  7;    also  28  :  19. 

(f)  A  pair  of  misfortunes,  35  :  i6-22a.  From  Bethel  Jacob 
removes  to  Ephrath.  On  the  way  Rachel  gives  birth  to  Benjamin, 
but  dies  in  childbed.  At  Migdal-eder,  the  next  station,  Reuben 
dishonors  his  father  by  an  intrigue  with  Bilhah.  Both  incidents  are 
from  the  Judean  narrative. 

16.  Some  way;    as  in  2  Kgs.  5  :  19,  probably  a  short  distance. 
For  Ephrath,  according  to  Ruth  4:11,  one  should  read  Ephrathah. 
The  location  of  this  place  is  disputed.     In  v.  19  it  is  identified  with 
Bethlehem,  and  it  is  clear  from  Ruth  4:11  and  5  :  2  that  Bethlehem 
was  sometimes  called  by  this  name.    The  traditional  site  of  Rachel's 
grave,  therefore,  is  on  the  main  road  southward  from  Jerusalem, 
about  a  mile  northwest  of  Bethlehem.    This  location  is  favored  by 
the  Greek  Version  which  inserts  here  2ib,  making  the  first  half  of 

263 


35  :  i?  GENESIS 

17.  travailed,  and  she  had  hard  labour.     And  it  came  to 
pass,  when  she  was  in  hard  labour,  that  the  midwife 
said  to  her,  Fear  not;  for  °now  thou  shalt  have  another 

18.  son.    And  it  came  to  pass,  as  her  soul  was  in x  departing 
(°*for  she  died  f),  that  she  called  his  name  t°Ben-oni2: 

19.  but  his  father  called  him  °Benjamin.    And  Rachel  died, 
and  was  buried  in  the  way  to  Ephrath  (°*  the  same  is 

20.  Beth-lehem  f).    And  Jacob  set  up  a  pillar  upon  her3 
grave :  the  same  is  °the  pillar  of  4  Rachel's  grave 4  unto 

21.  this  day.     5  And  Israel  journeyed,5  8  and  spread  his  tent 
22a.  beyond  the  °tower  of  Eder.6    And  it  came  to  pass, 


1  SV  om.       a  Gr.  son  of  my  sorrow;  Syr.  son  of  my  sorrows.       3  Syr.  Rachel's. 
«  Syr.  Rachel.       *  Gr.  om.       6  Gr.  inserts  in  v.  16. 

this  verse  read,  And  Jacob  set  forth  from  Bethel,  and  pitched  his  tent 
beyond  the  tower  of  Gader.  In  i  Sam.  10  :  2,  however,  the  tomb  of 
Rachel  is  located  on  the  (presumably  northern)  border  of  Benjamin, 
and  Jer.  31  :  15  points  to  the  vicinity  of  Ramah,  now  er-Ram,  about 
five  miles  north  of  Jerusalem;  and,  since  Ephraim  and  Benjamin 
were  Rachel  tribes,  this  seems  the  more  probable  site  for  the  grave 
of  their  ancestress. 

17.  Now  thou  shalt  have  another  son;    more  exactly,   This  one 
also  is  a  son. 

18.  For  she  died.     Better,   when  she  died,  a  prosaic  gloss  to  the 
preceding  expression.     Ben-oni  might  mean  Son  of  my  vigor  (49  :  3), 
but  Son  of  my  sorrow  is  evidently  the  author's  interpretation  of  it.    See 
i  Sam.  4  :  19  ff.     Names  of  this  kind  were  sometimes  regarded  as  a 
handicap  by  their  bearers.     See  i  Chr.  4  :  9  f.     Benjamin,  which 
also  consists  of  two  words,  means  Son  of  the  right  hand,  probably  in 
the  sense  of  Favorite.     See  Ps.  no  :  i. 

19.  In  view  of  what  has  been  said  under  v.  16  the  same  is  Beth- 
lehem must  be  treated  as  a  mistaken  gloss. 

20.  The  pillar  that  Jacob  set  up  over  Rachel's  grave  was  of  the 
same  form  and  appearance  as  those  he  had  erected  at  Bethel.    Whether 
he  poured  oil  or  wine  on  this  one,  as  he  did  on  those  at  Bethel,  there 
is  no  means  of  discovering,  but  it  is  altogether  probable  that  the 
author  would  have  said  he  did.    The  Jews  of  the  present  day  honor 
Rachel  by  burning  bits  of  silk  or  paper  at  her  supposed  tomb  near 
Bethlehem. 

21.  For  tower  of  Eder  read  Migdal-eder  (Flock-tower).    The  Greek 
translators  seem  to  have  located   this  place   north  of  Bethlehem, 

26* 


GENESIS 


while  Israel  dwelt  in  that  land,  that  Reuben  went  and 
lay  with  Bilhah  his  father's  concubine:  and  °Israel 
heard  of  it.1 

22b,  23.   Now  °the  sons  of  Jacob  were  twelve:   the  sons  of  p 
Leah ;  Reuben,  Jacob's  firstborn,  and  Simeon,  and  Levi, 

24.  and  Judah,  and  Issachar,  and  Zebulun:    the2  sons  of 

25.  Rachel;  Joseph  and  Benjamin:  and  the  sons  of  Bilhah, 

26.  Rachel's  handmaid;   Dan  and  Naphtali:   and  the  sons 
of   Zilpah,  Leah's  handmaid;    Gad  and  Asher:    these 
are  the  sons  of  Jacob,  °which3  were  born  to  him  in 

27.  Paddan-aram.    And  Jacob  came  unto  Isaac  his  father 
to  Mamre,  to  Kiriath-arba 4  (the  same  is  Hebron5), 
°where  Abraham  and  Isaac  sojourned. 

1  Gr.  adds,  and  it  seemed  evil  before  him.  '  Gr.  Syr.  and  the.  3  SV  who. 
4  Gr.  the  city  of  the  plain;  Syr.  the  city  of  the  giants.  s  Gr.  adds,  in  the  land  of 
Canaan;  Syr.  which  is  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 

probably,  in  harmony  with  a  Jewish  tradition  cited  by  Jerome,  and, 
in  his  opinion,  supported  by  Mic.  4:8,  at  Jerusalem.  If  the  tomb 
of  Rachel  was  near  Ramah,  Migdal-eder  may  have  been  anywhere 
between  that  place  and  Hebron ;  or,  if,  as  some  are  inclined  to  be- 
lieve, the  name  Hebron  in  37  :  14  is  a  late  addition,  between  it  and 
Beer-sheba.  In  the  latter  case  it  might  be  the  Eder  mentioned  in 
Josh.  15  :  21  ff.  in  connection  with  Beer-sheba. 

22  a.  Israel  heard  of  it  leads  one  to  expect  something  further. 
Perhaps,  therefore,  the  Greek  Version  is  correct  in  adding,  and  it 
seemed  evil  before  him,  or,  as  the  Hebrew  would  express  it,  and  it 
was  evil  in  his  eyes.  See  48  :  17. 

(g)  The  reunion  at  Mamre,  35  :  22b-27.  To  a  list  of  the  sons  of 
Jacob  is  appended  a  brief  notice  of  the  arrival  of  the  family  at  Hebron, 
the  whole  being  an  extract  from  the  Priestly  narrative. 

22b.  The  sons  of  Jacob  were  twelve;  including  Benjamin.  On 
this  favorite  number  see  25  :  2  ff.,  13  ff. 

23.  Note  the  order  of  the  names  of  the  women.  In  48  :  8  ff. 
it  is  Leah,  Zilpah,  Rachel,  Bilhah. 

26.  Which  (SV  who)  were  born  to  him  in  Paddan-aram.     Here, 
again,  Benjamin  is  included.     See,  also,  48  :  7,  where  there  is  a  ref- 
erence to  the  death  of  Rachel,  but  none  to  the  birth  of  Benjamin. 
Compare  vs.  16  ff. 

27.  Where  Abraham  and  Isaac  sojourned.    The  partiality  of  the 

265 


35  :  28  GENESIS 


P   28.       And  the  days  of  Isaac  *  were  an  hundred  and  four- 

29.   score  years.     And  Isaac  2  gave  up  the  ghost,  and  died, 

and  was  gathered  unto  his  people,  old  and  full  of  days : 

and  °Esau  and  Jacob  his  sons  buried  him.3 

P  36.       Now  these  are  the   generations  of  °Esau  (the  same 

R     2.   is  °Edom).  |  Esau4  took  his  wives  of  °the  daughters 

1  Gr.  adds,  which  he  lived.      3  Gr.  he.      a  Syr.  adds,  in  the  grave  that  Abraham  his 
father  bought.      «  Gr.  And  Esau. 

author  for  Hebron  is  apparent.     According  to  25  :  1 1  ;    26  :  23  ;  28  : 
10  (J),  Isaac's  home  since  his  marriage  has  been  in  the  South. 

(6)    The  end  of  the  history  of  Isaac,  35  :  28-37  :  1 

The  final  division  of  the  history  of  Isaac  records  his  death  and 
appends  a  genealogy  of  the  Edomites. 

(a)  The  death  of  the  patriarch,  35  :  28  f.,  Isaac  dies  and  his  sons 
bury  him.    The  source  is  the  Priestly. 

28.  The  impression  that  one  gets  from  this  verse  is  that  Isaac  died 
soon  after  his  son's  return.        The  author  could  not,  however,  have 
meant  anything  of  the  kind,  since,  if  he  allowed  twenty  years  for  the 
sojourn  in  the  East  and  ten  years  more  for  that  at  Succoth  or  Shechem, 
he  could  not  make  Isaac  at  this  time  more  than  a  hundred  and  thirty 
years  of  age.     See  25  :  26 ;   26  :  34.     It  is  probable,  therefore,  that 
the  death  of  Isaac  is  inserted  here  because  the  writer  wished  to  close 
his  history  of  Isaac  and  begin  that  of  Jacob.     See  25  :  7,  where  the 
death  of  Abraham  immediately  follows  the  marriage  of  Isaac,  although 
the  patriarch  then  had  thirty-five  years  to  live. 

29.  Esau  and  Jacob  ;  the  former  being  still  in  Canaan  and  at  peace 
with  his  brother.     See  36  :  6  ;    compare  32:3. 

(b)  The  records  of   Edom,  36  :  1-37  :  i.    The  section  contains  a 
collection  of  genealogical   material   pertaining,  not  only  to  the  de- 
scendants of  Esau,  but  to  the  people  that  they  supplanted,  and  a  list 
of  the  early  kings  of  the  country.     It  is  largely  from  Priestly  sources, 
but  the  compiler  drew  also  from  the  Judean  narrative.    The  first 
topic  is 

(a)  The  migration  of  Esau,  36  :  1-8.  The  author,  after  giving 
the  names  of  Esau's  wives  and  the  sons  they  bore  him  in  Canaan,  tells 
how  he  left  the  land  of  his  birth  and  gives  the  reason  for  his  removal. 

i.  In  25  :  25  Esau  and  Edom  were  identified,  the  red  one  (Edom) 
being  called  Esau. 

2  f.  The  daughters  of  Canaan,  as  the  punctuation  indicates,  do 

266 


GENESIS 


36:5 


of  Canaan ;  Adah  the  daughter  of  Elon  the  Hittite,  and 
Oholibamah  the  daughter  of  Anah,  °the  daughter **  of 

3.  Zibeon  the  Hivite ;  and  °Basemath  2*  Ishmael's  daughter, 

4.  sister  of  Nebaioth.     And  Adah  bare  to  Esau  °Eliphaz; 

5.  and   Basemath    bare    °Reuel;    and    Oholibamah  bare 
°Jeush,    and    Jalam,3    and    °Korah:     these    are    the 
sons  of  Esau  which  4  were  °born  unto  him  in  Canaan.  I 


1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  son.       '  Sam.  Mahalath.      3  Vg.  Ihelon;  Syr.  Jalon.      <  SV  who. 

not  include  Basemath.  The  names  and  relations  of  the  three  wives 
of  Esau,  as  here  given,  differ  from  those  in  26  :  34  and  28  :  9.  The 
variations  will  appear  in  the  following  table : 


WIFE 


26:34 

1.  Judith 

2.  Basemath- 


28:9 


36:  2  f. 
Adah 

Oholibamah 

-Basemath 
(Sam.  Mahalath) 


26:34 
Beeri 

(Hittite) 
Elon. 

(Hittite) 


FATHER 

28:9 


Ishmael 


36:2f. 

-Elon 
(Hittite) 

Anah 
(Horite) 
Ishmael 


The  discrepancies,  except  one,  cannot  be  harmonized,  but  must  be 
explained  as  variations  in  tradition.  The  daughter  is  an  evident 
mistake  for  the  son  of  Zibeon.  The  descriptive  phrase  was  added  to 
distinguish  the  Anah  here  meant  from  another  who  was  a  brother  of 
Zibeon.  See  vs.  20  and  24  ;  also  the  Samaritan  text  and  the  Greek 
and  Syriac  reading.  Zibeon  is  here  called  a  Hivite,  but  in  v.  24  more 
correctly  the  Horite.  For  Basemath  read,  with  the  Samaritans, 
Mahalath. 

4.  The  name  Eliphaz  is  found  in  the  list  of  Job's  friends.     See  Jb. 
2  :  ii.    There,  however,  he  is  a  Temanite,  i.e.,  a  son  of  Teman,  while 
here  Teman  is  one  of  his  sons.    The  appearance  of  the  name  Reuel 
in  this  connection  is  not  surprising,  since  it  is  one  of  the  names  of 
Moses'  father-in-law,  a  Midianite.   See  Num.  10  :  29.    Compare  Jud. 
4:11,  where  Hobab  is  called  a  Kenite. 

5.  The  names  of  the  first  and  third  of  the  sons  of  Oholibamah  were 
in  use  among  the  Hebrews.    On  Jeush  see  i  Chr.  7  :  10  ;  8  :  39  ;  23  : 
10  ff.;    2  Chr.  n  :  19.    On  Korah  see  i  Chr.  2  :  43,  where  it  is  the 
name  of  a  Calebite,  a  son  of  Hebron.     Neither  of  the  three  can  be 
identified  with  any  known  Edomite  place  or  family.    The  pains  taken 
to  note  that  these  are  the  sons  of  Esau  born  unto  him  in  Ci 

267 


36  :  6  GENESIS 


6.  And  Esau  took  his  wives,  and  his  sons,  and  his  daughters, 
and  all  the  souls  of  his  house,  l  and  his  cattle,1  and  all 
his  beasts,  and  all  his  possessions,  which  he  had  gath- 
ered in  the  land  of  Canaan ;    and  went  °2  into  a  land  2 

7.  away  from  his  brother  Jacob.      For  their  substance  was 
too  great  for  them  to  dwell  together;   and  the  land  of 
their  sojournings  could  not  bear  them  because  of 3  °their 

8.  cattle.     And  Esau  dwelt  in  mount  Seir :  Esau  is  Edom. 

9.  And  these  are  the  generations  of  Esau  the  father  of 

10.  the  Edomites  in  mount  Seir:    these4  are  the  names  of 
Esau's  sons ;  Eliphaz  the  son  of  Adah  the  wife  of  Esau, 

11.  Reuel5  the  son  of  Basemath  6  the  wife  of  Esau.     And 
the  sons  of  Eliphaz  were  °Teman,  °7  Omar,  °Zepho,7 

12.  and  °Gatam,  and  °Kenaz.     *  And  °Timna  was  concu- 

*  Gr.  and  all  his  cattle;  Syr.  om.  >  Sam.  Gr.from  the  land  of  Canaan;  Syr.  to  the 
land  of  Seir;  Tar.  into  another  land.  3  Gr.  adds,  the  multitude  of.  *  Sam.  Gr.  Vg. 
Syr.  and  these.  s  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  and  Reuel.  6  Sam.  Mahalath.  1  Sam.  Syr.  and 
Omar  and  Zephar;  Gr.  Oman,  Sophar;  i  Chr.  i  :  36,  and  Omar,  Zephi. 

might   imply  that  he   afterward   had   others;    but   none  are  men- 
tioned. 

6.  On  the  wealth  of  Esau  see  33  :  9.      For  into  a  land  read,  with 
the  Syriac  Version,  to  the  land  of  Seir.    Compare  32:3,  where  Esau  is 
represented  as  having  already  removed  to  Seir  before  Jacob's  return 
from  the  East. 

7.  Their  cattle ;  more  exactly,  as  in  the  Greek  Version,  the  multitude 
of  their  cattle.     See  13  :  6a. 

(6)  The  children  of  Esau,  36  :  9-19.  The  names  of  Esau's  sons 
by  his  three  wives  are  repeated,  and  the  genealogy  through  the  first 
and  the  third  is  carried  to  the  third  generation.  The  whole  para- 
graph is  late,  and  apparently  by  the  same  hand  as  vs.  2-5. 

11.  Teman  is  sometimes  used  of  a  place  or  district  in  Edom,  and 
sometimes  of  the  whole  country.     See  Am.   1:12;    Ezek.   25  :  13. 
Where  the  place  or  district  was  it  is  impossible  to  say  with  confidence, 
but  the  passage  from  Ezekiel  seems  to  point  to  the  northern  part. 
For  Omar  (Gr.  Oman},  Zepho,  read,  with  the    Samaritans  and  the 
Syriac  Version,  and  Omar,  and  Zepho.     Neither  of  these  names  has 
been  identified.     The  same  is  the  case  with  Gatam.     On  Kenaz  see 
15  :  19. 

12,  Timna,  according  to  v.  22,  was  a  daughter  of  Seir.     She  is 

268 


GENESIS 


bine  to  Eliphaz  Esau's  son ;    and  she  bare  to  Eliphaz 
Amalek :  f   °these  are  the  sons  of  Adah  Esau's  wife. 

13.  And  these  are  the  sons  of  Reuel;  °Nahath,  and  1  °Zerah, 
°Shammah,  and  °Mizzah :  these  were  the  sons  of  Base- 

14.  math 2  Esau's  wife.     And  these  were  the  sons  of  Oholi- 
bamah  the  daughter  of  Anah,  the  daughter  3  of  Zibeon, 
Esau's  wife:   and  she  bare  to  Esau  Jeush,  and  Jalam,4 

15.  and  Korah.     °These  are  the  dukes  5  of  the  sons  of  Esau : 
the  sons  of  Eliphaz  the  firstborn  of  Esau ;  duke  Teman, 

16.  duke  Omar,  duke  Zepho,  duke  °Kenaz,  °*6duke  Korah,6t 
duke  °Gatam,7  °*  duke  Amalek  f  :  these  are  the  dukes 

1  Gr.  om.  *  Sam.  Mahalath.  3  Sam.  Gr.  son.  *  Vg.  Ihelom;  Syr.  Jalon. 
s  SV  chiefs,  here  and  elsewhere.  6  Sam.  om.  i  Gr.  Gotha;  Syr.  transposes  with 
Korah. 

here  concubine  to  Eliphaz  and  mother  of  the  Amah-kites.  This 
means  that  the  Amalek ites  were  not  recognized  as  genuine  Edomites. 
They  were  almost  always  a  thorn  in  the  flesh  to  the  Hebrews.  Ac- 
cording to  Ex.  17  :  8  ff.,  they  attacked  the  children  of  Israel  during 
the  Exodus.  Later  they  foiled  the  first  attempt  to  enter  Palestine. 
See  Num.  14  :  45.  They  then  had  possession  of  the  South.  See  Num. 
13  :  29.  There  Saul  found  and  smote  them  (i  Sam.  15  :  7  f.),  and 
David  finally  subdued  them.  See  i  Sam.  30  :  i  ff.  These  are  the 
sons  of  Adah  takes  no  account  of  Amalek  ;  the  first  part  of  this  verse 
is  therefore  probably  an  interpolation. 

13.  Nahath,  Zerah,  and  Shammah  all  occur  as  personal  names  of 
Hebrews.      Here  they  seem  to  denote  Edomite  families,  but  these 
families  have  not  been  identified.    The  same  is  the  case  with  Mizzah. 

14.  The  names  of  the  sons  of  Oholibamah  are  merely  repeated, 
without  additions  for  the  third  generation.    These,  with  the  grand- 
sons of  Esau  by  the  other  two  wives,  and  without  the  son  of  the  con- 
cubine of  v.  12,  make  twelve.     See  25  :  2  ff.,  13  ff.;   35  :  23. 

15.  These,  viz.,  the  twelve   just   enumerated,  are  the  dukes  (SV 
chiefs)  of  the  sons  of  Esau.     In  the  list  that  follows  there  are  two 
variations  from  the  preceding.    Thus,  Kenaz  here  comes  before,  not 
after,  Gatam. 

16.  Duke  Korah,  which  occurs  twice,  should  be  omitted  from  this 
verse,  as  it  is  by  the  Samaritans.     Duke  Amalek,  also,  to  judge  from 
v.  12,  is  a  later  addition.    Thus  the  number  of  the  tribes  that  sprang 
from  Esau  becomes  twelve. 

(c)  The  children  of  Seir,  36  :  20-30.    This  paragraph  is  constructed 
269 


36  :  17  GENESIS 

that  came  of  Eliphaz  in  the  land  of  Edom ;  these  are  the 

17.  sons  of  Adah.     And  these  are  the  sons  of  Reuel  Esau's 
son;  duke  Nahath,  duke  Zerah,  duke  Shammah,  duke 
Mizzah :  these  are  the  dukes  that  came  of  Reuel  in  the 
land  of  Edom;  these  are  the  sons  of  Basemath1  Esau's 

18.  wife.     And  these  are  the  sons  of  Oholibamah    Esau's 
wife;  duke  Jeush,  duke  Jalam,2  duke  Korah:  these  are 
the  dukes 3  that  came  of  Oholibamah,  the  daughter  of 

19.  Anah,  Esau's  wife.     These  are  the  sons  of  Esau,  and 
these  are  their  dukes:    the  same  is  Edom. 

R   20.       These 4  are  the  sons  of  °Seir  °the  Horite,  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the   land;   °Lotan   and   °Shobal  and   °Zibeon 

21.  and  °Anah,  and  °Dishon  and  °Ezer5  and    °Dishan6: 
these  are  the  dukes  that  came  of  the  Horites,  the  children 7 

22.  of  Seir  in  the  land  of  Edom.     And  the  children  of  Lotan 

1  Sam.  Mahalath.    *  Vg.  Ihelom;  Syr.  Jalon.      *  Syr.  sons.    *  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Tar. 
And  these.      *  Gr.  Saar.      6  Gr.  Reison.       '  Gr.  Vg.  son. 

on  the  same  plan  as  the  foregoing,  —  first  a  genealogy  of  the  family, 
and  then  an  enumeration  of  the  heads  of  its  branches.  It,  also,  is 
the  work  of  a  priestly  hand. 

20.  Hitherto  Seir  has  been  a  synonym  for  Edom  ;  here  it  is  the  name 
of  the  eponymous  ancestor  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  country.    The 
name,  which  means  He-goat,  is  a  very  appropriate  one  for  a  moun- 
taineer.    He  is  described  as  the  Horite,  from  Heb.  hor,  hole,  because 
the  people  of  Petra,  the  capital  of  Edom,  many  of  them,  lived  in 
dwellings  hewn  in  the  cliffs  surrounding  a  little  valley  in  the  mountain. 
Lotan  has  been  compared  with  Lot,  but  it  can  hardly  denote  the  same 
person  or  family.     See  19  :  30  ff.     Shobal  is  a  son  of  Caleb  in  i  Chr. 
2  :  50,  but  in  4  :  i  a  son  of  Judah ;  which,  being  interpreted,  means 
that  the  people  so  designated  lived  on  the  border  between  Canaan  and 
Edom.     Zibeon  cannot  be  identified.    The  Anah  here  meant  is  not 
the  same  as  the  one  mentioned  in  v.  2,  who  is  described  as  the  son 
(daughter)  of  Zibeon.     He  has  not  been  identified. 

21.  Dishon  and  Ezer,  also,  are  unknown.    The  Ezer  of  i  Chr. 
4  :  4  is  a  different  name.     For  Dishan  one  should  perhaps  read,  with 
the  Greek  Version,  Rishon.     See  10  :  4.     The  latter  part  of  this  verse 
anticipates  v.  29,  and  is  therefore  probably  an  interpolation.     It  has 
no  place  in  this  connection. 

270 


GENESIS 


and  °Hemam1;    and   Lotan's   sister  was 
23    °Timna.   And  these  are  the  children  of  Shobal ;  °Alvan 2 
and  °Manahath    and  °Ebal,3  °Shepho4  and    °Onam.5 

24.  And  these  are  the  children  of  Zibeon ;    °Aiah 6  and 
°Anah  7 :  this  is  Anah  °who  found  the  *8  hot  springs  8f 
in  the  wilderness,  as  he  fed  the  asses  of  Zibeon  his 

25.  father.    And  these  are  the  children  of  °Anah;   Dishon 

26.  and  °Oholibamah  9  the  daughter  of  Anah.9    And  these 

1  Syr.  i  Chr.  i  :  39,  Homam.  *  i  Chr.  i  :  40,  Alian.  3  Syr.  Ubal;  Sam.  Gr. 
Vg.  Syr.  add,  and.  *  Gr.  Sophar;  Syr.  Shophor;  i  Chr.  i  :  40,  Shephi.  *  Gr. 
Onan;  Syr.  Uyam.  6  So  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.;  Heb.  and  Ajah;  Syr.  Ana.  i  Gr.  Onan. 
8  Sam.  Emim;  Tar.  giants.  •  »  Syr.  om. 

22.  Hori  is  a  general  term  applied  to  a  special  tribe,  probably  the 
one  that  occupied  the  district  in  which  Petra  was  situated.     Hemam, 
in  i  Chr.  i  :  39  Homam,  has  not  been  identified.    On  Timna  see  v. 
12.     In  v.  40  Tirana  is  one  of  the  chiefs  that  came  of  Esau. 

23.  Alvan,  in  i  Chr.  i :  40  Allan,  is  by  some  supposed  to  have  been 
preserved  in  the  name  of  an  Arab  tribe,  the  Alawin,  found  by  Burck- 
hardt  near  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  Akaba.     See  Alvah,  v.  40.     Mana- 
hath,  according  to  i  Chr.  8  :  6,  was  a  city  or  region,  and,  according  to 
i  Chr.  2  :  32  ff.,  the  Manahathites  were  a  branch  of  the  Calebites. 
For  Ebal  the  Syriac  Version  has  here,  as  in  10  :  28,  the  equivalent  of 
ObaL     For  Shepho  i  Chr.  i  :  40  reads  Shephi,  the  Syriac  Version  Sho- 
phor, and  some  Greek  manuscripts  Sophar,  as  in  v.  n.     Neither  Ebal 
nor  Shepho  has  been  located.     Onam,  for  which  the  Greek  Version 
has  Onan,  and  the  Syriac  Uyam  (Unan?),  is  probably  the  same  who 
in  i  Chr.  2  :  26  ff.  is  a  son  of  Jerahmeel. 

24.  Aiah  is  unknown.     Anah  is  distinguished  from  the  son  of  Seir 
(v.  20)  as  the  one  who  found  the  hot  springs  in  the  wilderness.    The 
rendering  hot  springs  is  unsupported  except   by  the   Vulgate.    The 
Samaritans  read  Emim,  and  the  Targum  has  giants,  which  are  worse. 
The  difficulty  is  best  met  by  transposing  two  of  the  letters  of  the  original, 
when  the  word  in  question  becomes  the  one  for  water.    The  discovery 
of  water  in   the   desert,  especially  if,  as  Buhl  suggests,  it  was   the 
springs  at  Ma'an,  east  of  Petra,  would  have  made  any  one's  reputa- 
tion. 

25.  Anah  is  here  the  one  of  v.  20.     Oholibamah  is  here  identified 
with  the  second  wife  of  Esau  (v.  2),  but  it  is  possible  that  the  descrip- 
tive phrase  should  be  omitted,  as  it  is  in  the  Syriac  Version.     If  this 
change  were  made,  the  person  or  tribe  here  meant  might  be  the  one 
designated  by  the  same  name  in  v.  41. 

271 


36  :  27  GENESIS 

are  the  children  of  Dishon1;  °Hemdan2  and  Eshban 

27.  and  °Ithran  and  Cheran.     °These3  are  the  children  of 

28.  Ezer4;   °Bilhan5  and  °Zaavan6and  °Akan.7    These8 

29.  are  the  children  of  Dishan 9 ;  °Uz  and  °Aran.10*    These  " 
are  the  dukes  that  came  of  the  Horites;   dtike  Lotan, 

30.  duke  Shobal,  duke  Zibeon,  duke  Anah,  duke  Dishon,12 
duke  Ezer,13  duke  Dishan  9 :    these  are  the  dukes  that 
came  of  the  Horites,  according  to  their  dukes  in  the  land 
of  Seir. 

R  31.       And  these  are  the  kings  that  reigned  in  the  land  of 

1  So  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.;  Heb.  Dishan.  '  i  Chr.  i  :  41,  Hamran.  3  Sam.  Gr. 
Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  And  these.  •*  Gr.  Soar.  s  Syr.  Chalhon.  6  Gr.  Zoukam,  Zoukan. 
i  Gr.  loukam  and  Oukam  or  Oukan;  i  Chr.  i  :  42,  Jaakan.  8  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr. 
And  these.  »  Gr.  Reison.  10  Heb.  mss.  Gr.  Vg.  Tar.  A  ram.  "  Gr.  mss.  Syr. 
And  these.  "  So  Sam.  Vg.  Syr.;  Gr.  Reison;  Heb.  Dishan.  *s  Gr.  Saar. 

26.  For  Hemdan  i  Chr.  i  :  41  has  Hamran,  but  even  in  this  form 
the  name  defies  identification.    The  other  three  sons  of  Dishon  are 
likewise  unknown.     Ithran  is  perhaps  the  Jetheth  of  v.  40,  whom  the 
Greek  Version  calls  lether. 

27.  For  these  read  And  these,  with  the  Samaritans  and  the  Versions. 
On  Bilhan  see  Bilhah,  the  name  of  a  Simeonite  city  (i  Chr.  4  :  29), 
as  well  as  of  one  of  Jacob's  concubines.     Zaavan,  for  which  the  Samar- 
itans read  Zoan  and  the  Greek  Version  has  Zoukam  or  Zoukan,  is 
unknown ;  so  also  Akan,  in  i  Chr.  i  :  42  Jaakan.     For  this  last  the 
Greek  has  two  names,  which,  however,  seem  to  be  but  two  forms  of 
the  same  original. 

28.  Here,  also,  the  verse  should  begin  with  And  these.    On  Uz 
see  10  :  23  ;   22  :  21.    The  relation  between  Uz  and  Aram  was  so 
generally  recognized  that  those  manuscripts  of  the  original  text  are 
probably  correct  in  which  the  latter  name  here  takes  the  place  of 
Aran ;  especially  as  they  are  supported  by  the  Vulgate  and  theTargum, 
and  some  Greek  manuscripts. 

29.  There  follows  a  list  of  the  chiefs  of  Seir.     Note  that  in  this  in- 
stance they  are  the  sons,  and  not  the  grandsons,  of  the  founder,  and 
that  they  are  seven,  and  not  twelve,  in  number. 

(d)  The  kings  of  Edom,  36  :  31-39.  The  names  of  the  succes- 
sive kings  are  given,  sometimes  with  their  parentage,  and  in  all  cases 
but  one  with  the  name  of  the  city  or  province  to  which  they  belonged. 
The  whole  paragraph,  except  the  introductory  verse,  is  attributed  to 
the  Judean  author. 

272 


GENESIS 

Edom,  before  there  reigned  any  king  01  over  the  children 

32.  of  1  Israel.  |  And  °Bela2  the  son  of  Beor  reigned  in  j 

33.  Edom;  and  the  name  of  his  city  was  °Dinhabah.     And 
Bela2  died,  and  Jobab  the  son  of  Zerah  of  °Bozrah 

34.  reigned  in  his  stead.     And  Jobab  died,  and  Husham3 

35.  of  the  land  of  the  °Temanites  reigned  in  his  stead.     And 
Husham  3  died,  and  °Hadad  the  son  of  Bedad,4  who 

1  Gr.   in.         •  Gr.    Balak.         3  Gr.   Asom;    Syr.    Hashum.        *  Gr.  Bared. 


31.  The  latter  half  of  the  verse  is  not  so  clear  in  the  original  as  in 
the  translation.    The  received  text,  literally  rendered,  reads,  not  over, 
but  to,  the  children  of  Israel,  which  might  be,  and  has  been,  inter- 
preted as  meaning  that  the  kings  named  reigned  before  a  king  of  the 
children  of  Israel  reigned  over  Edom,  i.e.,  before  the  time  of  David. 
The  more  natural  interpretation,  however,  is  the  one  adopted  by  the 
English  translators,  and  it  is  supported  by  the  Greek  and  Latin  Ver- 
sions.   These  kings,  then,  are  those  that  ruled  in  Edom  before  the 
establishment  of  the  Hebrew  monarchy  by  Saul.     When  the  first 
began  his  reign  there  is  no  means  of  learning.     According  to  Num. 
20  :  14,  it  was  before  the  Exodus.    This  passage  is  entirely  in  harmony 
with  such  an  opinion,  for,  if  these  kings  reigned  on  an  average  twenty- 
five  years,  the  monarchy  must  have  been  established  before  1215 
B.C. 

32.  The  similarity  between  Bela  and  Balaam,  and  the  circumstance 
that  both  are  sons  of  a  Beor,  led  the  Jews  to  identify  them.     Some 
modern  scholars  have  adopted  this  opinion,  which  seems  to  be  favored 
by  the  fact  that  in  Num.  22  :  5,  in  its  original  (Samaritan)  form, 
Balaam  is  represented  as  coming  from  "  the  land  of  the  children  of 
Ammon,"  and  in  Num.  31  :  8  it  is  narrated  that  he  was  slain  in  the 
expedition  of  the  Hebrews  against  the  Midianites.     See  Gray,  Num- 
bers, 314  ff.    That  Bela  is  a  king  and  Balaam  a  seer,  is  not  a  serious 
difficulty.    There  was  a  Dinhabah  in  Moab,  but  it  can  hardly  be  the 
one  here  meant  unless  Moab  was  at  that  time  reckoned  to  Edom.     See 
v.  35.    The  mention  of  the  home  of  the  king  indicates  that  the  office 
was  not  hereditary,  but  elective.    There  is  therefore  no  reason  why 
it  should  not  have  existed  at  the  same  time  with  the  chieftaincies. 

33.  Bozrah,  the  residence  of  Jobab,  once  an  important  city,  is 
usually  identified  with  el-Busaireh,  a  village  on  the  road  from  Kerak 
to  Petra,  about  fifteen  miles  southeast  of  the  Dead  Sea. 

34.  On  Teman,  the  place  from  which  Husham  came,  see  v.  n. 

35.  Hadad  is  the  well-known  name  of  the  Syrian  storm-god.     It  is 

T  273 


3  6  :  36  GENESIS 


smote  Midian  1  in  the  field  of  Moab,  reigned  in  his  stead  • 

36.  and  the  name  of  his  city  was  °Avith.2    And  Hadad 
died,  and  Samlah  of  °Masrekah  reigned  in  his  stead. 

37.  And  Samlah  died,  and  °Shaul  of  °Rehoboth  by  the 

38.  River   reigned   in   his   stead.    And   Shaul   died,    and 
°Baal-hanan  the  son  of  Achbor  3  reigned  in  his  stead. 

39.  And  Baal-hanan  the  son  of  Achbor  3  died,  and  °Hadar 4 
reigned  in  his  stead :    and  the  name  of  his  city  was 
°Pau 5 ;    and  his  wife's  name  was  Mehetabel,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Hatred,  °*the  daughter  of  t  Me-zahab. 


1  Sam.   Tar.    the   Midianite.       *  Gr.  Getthaim;    Syr.    Gewith.      3  Syr.    Abakur. 
4Heb.  mss.  Sam.  Syr.  Hadad;   Gr.  Arath,  Arad,  Adad.       s  Gr.  Phogor. 


usually  found  in  combination  with  another  word,  as  in  Ben-hadad 
and  Hadad-ezer.  The  appearance  of  it  here  indicates  a  strong  Ara- 
mean  influence  in  Edom.  The  name  seems  to  have  been  a  favorite. 
There  are  no  fewer  than  three  royal  persons  who  bore  it,  viz.,  this 
fourth  king  and  the  eighth,  and  a  prince  who  troubled  the  reign  of 
Solomon.  See  i  Kgs.  n  :  14  ff.  Avith  is  by  some  supposed  to  be  the 
original  of  Ghuweite,  the  name  of  a  range  of  hills  east  of  Moab. 

36.  Masrekah  is  supposed  to  have    been    situated    in    northern 
Edom. 

37.  The  name  of  the  sixth  king,  Shaul,  is  the  same  that  is  rendered 
Saul  when  it  means  the  first  Hebrew  king.     Rehoboth  by  the  River  is 
not  an  exact  translation.     The  name  is  formed  after  the  analogy  of 
Rehoboth-ir  in  10  :  n,  and  means,  literally,  The  streets  of  the  river 
the  river  not  being  necessarily  the  Euphrates,  as  the  translators  sup- 
posed, but  any  considerable  stream,  like  the  Arnon  or  the  Jabbok. 

38.  In  the  name  Baal-hanan  there  is  evidence  of  the  influence  of 
Phoenicia,  whose  god  Baal  was  the  strongest  rival  of  Yahweh.    This 
king  is  the  only  one  of  the  eight  whose  residence  is  not  given. 

39.  For  Hadar  read,  with  some  Hebrew,  Samaritan,  and  Greek 
manuscripts,  and  the  Syriac  Version,  Hadad,  as  in  v.  35.     See  also 
i  Chr.  i  :  50.     For  Pau  i  Chr.  i  :  50  has  Pai,  and  the  Greek  Version, 
perhaps  correctly,  Phogor,  i.e.,  Peor,  a  mountain  not  far  from  Hesh- 
bon,  westward.     Me-zahab  is  probably  the  name  of  a  place,  and,  in- 
deed, the  one  called  in  Dt.  i  :  i,  by  mistake,  Di-zahab.     Read,  there- 
fore, not  the  daughter  of,  but  from,  Me-zahab. 

(e}  The  chiefs  of  Esau,  36  :  40-37  :  i.     The  passage   contains  a 
second  list  of  the  heads  of  the  Edomites  which  differs  throughout  from 

274 


GENESIS 


40.  And  these  are  the  names  of  the  dukes  that  came  of 
Esau,  according  to  their  families,  after  their  places,  by 
their  names1;    duke    °Timnah,    duke   °Alvah,2  duke 

41.  °Jetheth3;     duke    °Oholibamah,    duke    °Elah,    duke 

42.  °Pinon;    duke  °Kenaz,  duke  °Teman,  duke  °Mibzar; 

43.  duke  °Magdiel,  duke  °Iram4:    these  be  the  dukes  of 
Edom,  according  to  their  habitations5  in  the  land  of 
their  possession.     This  is  Esau  the  father  of  the  Edom- 

37.   ites.    And  °Jacob  dwelt  in  the  land  of  his  father's  so- 
journings,  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 

1  Gr.  countries,  and  by  their  nations.  *  Syr.  Anwa.  3  Gr.  mss.  I  ether.  *  Gr. 
Zaphoein;  Syr.  Giram.  s  Sam.  families. 

the  one  given  in  vs.  15-19.     It  is  supposed  to  have  been  derived  from 
the  Priestly  narrative. 

40.  This  list  is  found,  also,  in  i  Chr.  i  :  51  ff.,  where  it  is  introduced 
by  the  statement,   "  And  Hadad  died,"  as  if  the  Chronicler  under- 
stood that  the  chiefs  here  enumerated  were  those  among  whom  the 
country  was  divided  after  the  death  of  the  last  king.     Timnah,  whose 
name  should  be  spelled  Timna,  as  it  is  in  vs.  12  and  22,  is  here  trans- 
formed into  a  man.     Alvah,  in  i  Chr.  i  :  40  Aliah,  is  probably  the 
Alvan  of  v.  25.     For  Jetheth  some  Greek  manuscripts  have  I  ether, 
perhaps  the  Ithran  of  vs.  26  and  41. 

41.  Oholibamah,  also,  who  has  hitherto  appeared  as  a  woman, 
here  becomes  a  man.     Elah  is  generally  identified  with  Elath  or  Eloth, 
now  Aila,  the  seaport  at  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  Akaba  whence  Solomon 
despatched  his  fleets.     See  i  Kgs.  9  :  26.     On  its  later  fortunes  see 
2  Kgs.  8  :  20  ;  14  :  22  ;  16  :  6.    In  the  last  of  these  passages  read,'"  At 
that  time  the  king  of  Edom  recovered  Elath  for  Edom,  and  the  Edomites 
came  to  Elath,  and  dwelt  there  unto  this  day."     Pinon  is  the  Punon 
of  Num.  33  :  42,  one  of  the  stations  on  the  route  of  the  Israelites  along 
the  eastern  border  of  Edom. 

42.  On  Kenaz  and  Teman  see  v.  n.     Mibzar,  later  Mabsara,  was 
a  place  in  northern  Edom. 

43.  Magdiel  and  Iram  have  not  been  identified.     For  the  latter 
the  Greek  Version  has  Zaphoein.     The  one  can  hardly  be  a  mistake 
for  the  other.      Perhaps  both  should  be  retained,  and  the  number 
thus  increased  to  twelve. 

37  :  i.  The  paragraph  closes  with  a  verse  that  seems  originally  to 
have  followed  v.  8.  It  records  that,  after  the  departure  of  Esau, 
Jacob  dwelt  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 

275 


37  :  2  GENESIS 


3.  Jacob  and  his  Family,  37  :  2-50  :  26 

2.  These  *  are  the  generations  of  Jacob.  Joseph,  being 
Seventeen  years  old,  °was  feeding  the  flock  with  his 
brethren ;  *  and  he  was  2  a  lad  2f  with  the  sons  of  Bil- 
hah,  and  with  the  sons  of  Zilpah,  his  father's  wives: 
and  °Joseph  brought  the  evil  report  of  them  unto 3 

1  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  And  these.      *  Syr.  growing  up.      3  Gr.  adds,  Israel. 

There  is  doubtless  considerable  historical  material  in  chapter  36, 
but  more  time  and  space  are  required  to  bring  it  out  than  can  be  given 
to  it  in  this  connection.  The  above  discussion,  however,  ought  to 
have  shown  that  the  Hebrews  and  the  Edomites  were  indeed  closely 
related  and  that  the  intercourse  between  the  two  peoples  was  more 
lively  and  intimate  than  one  would  gather  from  the  later  books. 

The  third  and  last  subdivision  under  the  general  head  of  the  Pa- 
triarchal Period  has  to  do  with  Jacob  after  his  return  to  Canaan,  and 
his  sons,  especially  Joseph.  The  last  at  once  becomes  prominent,  the 
first  section  being  devoted  to 

(i)    The  disappearance  of  Joseph,  35  :  2-36 

The  partiality  of  Jacob  for  his  youngest  son  and  the  young  man's 
own  imprudence  so  offend  the  other  sons  that,  when  Jacob  sends  him 
to  inquire  after  them  and  the  flock,  they  plan  to  kill  him ;  but  Reuben 
persuades  them  to  throw  him  into  an  empty  cistern,  and  finally,  by 
the  advice  of  Judah,  they  sell  him  to  a  company  of  merchants,  who  dis- 
pose of  him  as  a  slave  in  Egypt.  The  first  verse  is  from  the  Priestly 
source,  but  the  rest  is  composed,  in  about  equal  parts,  of  brief  extracts 
from  the  Judean  and  Ephraimite  narratives. 

2.  Seventeen  years  old.  The  writer  (P),  reckoning  from  the  last 
year  of  Jacob's  second  term  of  service  with  Laban,  seems  to  have 
allowed  ten  years  for  the  sojourn  at  Succoth  or  Shechem.  He  must 
have  made  Jacob  seventy  years  of  age  at  the  time.  The  statement  that 
Joseph  was  feeding  the  flock  with  his  brethren  can  only  mean  that 
he  shared  with  them  the  care  of  the  flock.  Compare  13  f.  Joseph 
brought  the  evil  report  of  them  ;  reported  things  unworthy  of  them,  or 
injurious  to  their  father,  of  which  they  had  been  guilty.  This,  ac- 
cording to  the  author,  was  the  reason  for  their  hatred  of  him. 
Compare  vs.  3  and  8. 

276 


GENESIS 


3.  their  father.  |  Now  Israel  loved  Joseph  °more  than  all  j 
his  children,  *  because  °he  was  the  son  of  his  old  age  f  : 

4.  and  he  made  him  01  a  coat  of  many  colours.1     And  his 
brethren  saw  that  their  father  loved  him  more  than  all 
2 his   brethren2;    and  they  hated   him,  and   could   not 

5.  °speak  peaceably  unto  him.  |  And  Joseph  dreamed  °a  E 
dream,  and  he  told  it  to  his  brethren:    *3and  °they 

6.  hated  him  yet  the  more.3f     And  he  said  unto  them, 
Hear,  I  pray  you,  this  dream  which  I  have  dreamed: 

7.  for,  behold,  we  were  binding  sheaves  in  the  field,  and, 
lo,  my  sheaf  arose,  and  also  stood  upright ;  and,  behold, 
your  sheaves  came  round  about,  and  made  obeisance 

8.  to  my  sheaf.     And  his  brethren  said  to  him,  Shalt  thou 
indeed  reign  over  us  ?  or  shalt  thou  indeed  have  domin- 
ion over  us?  |  And  they  hated  him  yet  the  more  for  his  R 

1  m.  a  long  garment  with  sleeves.       *  Gr.  Vg.  his  children;  Syr.  of  them.      3  Gr.  om. 

3.  More  than  all,  i.e.,  all  the  rest,  of  his  children.      He   was  the 
son  of  his  old  age.     Better,  a  child  of  old  age.    The  clause,  however, 
is  out  of  place  in  this  connection,  since,  according  to  the  Judean 
writer,  Jacob  cannot  have  been  an  old  man  when  Joseph  was  born. 
Indeed,  as  will  appear  later,  he  was  still  at  this  time  to  be  blessed  with 
another   son.     A   coat  of  many  colours.     Better,  as  in  the  margin, 
a  robe  with  long  sleeves,  sleeves  reaching  to  the  hands ;    a  garment  fit 
for  a  prince.     See  2  Sam.  13  :  18.    The  ordinary  tunic  reached  only 
to  the  knees,  and  had  no  sleeves. 

4.  Speak  peaceably  unto  him.     Better,  perhaps,  salute  him.    The 
neglect  of  the  ordinary  salutation  would  be  a  manifestation  of  the 
strongest  displeasure. 

5.  The  Ephraimite  author  has  a  still  different  explanation  for  the 
conduct  of  Joseph's  brethren ;  it  was  a  dream.    This  being  his  first 
reason,  he  cannot  have  said  that  they  hated  him  yet  the  more,  which 
must  have  been  added  by  the  compiler.     Note,  too,  how  it  disturbs 
the  connection. 

7.  The  nature  of  the  dream  indicates  that,  according  to  the  Ephra- 
imite narrator,  Jacob  tilled  the  soil  as  well  as  kept  flocks  and  herds 
at  this  time. 

8.  The  last  clause  of  this  verse  also  must  be  regarded  as  an  editorial 
addition.    The  proper  place  for  such  a  statement  would  be  in  v.  n. 

277 


37  :  9  GENESIS 

E  9.  dreams,  and  for  his  words.  |  And  he  dreamed  yet  an- 
other dream,  and  told  it 1  to  his  brethren,  and  said, 
Behold,  I  have  dreamed  yet  a  dream;  and,  behold,  the 
sun  and  the  moon  and  °eleven  stars  made  obeisance  to 

10.  me.     **  And  he  told  it  to  his  father,  and  to'  his  breth- 
ren2;! and  his  father  rebuked  him,    and   said   unto 
him,  What  is    this    dream  that  thou   hast  dreamed? 
Shall  I  and  °thy  mother  and  thy  brethren  indeed  come 

11.  to  bow  down  ourselves  to  thee  to  the  earth?    And  °his 
J  brethren  envied  him ;  but  °his  father  kept  the  saying  in 

12.  mind.  |  And  his    brethren  went  to  feed  their  father's 

13.  flock  °in  Shechem.   And  Israel  said  unto  Joseph,  Do3 not 
E  thy  brethren  feed  4  the  flock  in  Shechem  ?  come,  and  I 

will  send  thee  unto  them.  |  And  he 5  said  to  him,  Here 

1  Gr.  adds,  to  his  father  and.      *  Gr.  om.      3  SV  Are.       •*  SV  feeding.       s  Gr.  Is- 
rael; Syr.  his  father. 

9.  Eleven  stars;    not,  as  in  AV,  the  eleven  stars.    The  number 
denotes  that  at  this  time,  according  to  the  Ephraimite  version,  Ben- 
jamin had  already  been  born.     See  below. 

10.  Joseph    has  already  in  v.  9  told  his  dream.     It  is  therefore 
unnecessary  that  the  fact  should  be  repeated.     Thy  mother.    The 
reference  to  Rachel  implies  that  she  was  still  alive. 

11.  His  brethren  envied  him;   the  result  anticipated  by  the  editor 
in  vs.  5,   10.     His  father  kept  the  saying,  better,  matter,  in  mind, 
suspecting  that  it  might  be  prophetic.     See  Lk.  2  :  19. 

12.  The  flock  was  in  Shechem  while,  according  to  the  same  author 
(J)  in  v.  14,  the  camp  was  at  Hebron.    These  statements  are  utterly 
inconsistent  with  each  other  and  with  the  previous  history ;  for,  if 
Jacob  really  had  to  leave  Shechem  on  account  of  the  affair  of  Dinah, 
he  could  not  have  left  his  flock  behind  him  or  sent  it  back  to  that 
region.    Oriental  animosity  does  not  subside  so  rapidly  as  that  would 
indicate.     In  v.  14,  therefore,  Hebron  must  be  a  substitute  for  Succoth ; 
in  other  words,  according   to  the  Judean  narrative  in  its  original 
form,   the  betrayal  of  Joseph  occurred  while  Jacob  was  still  en- 
camped at  the  latter  place.    On  this  supposition  it  is  not  incredible 
that  Jacob  should  have  sent  his  flock  to  Shechem,  or  that  he  should 
not  know  that  his  sons  had  left  that  place  for  Dothan. 

13.  The  Ephraimite  version  was  different.     Its  author  represents 

278 


GENESIS 


37 


14.  am  I.     And  he  said  to  him,  Go  now,  see  whether  it  be  1 
well  with  thy  brethren,  and  well  with  the  flock;    and 
bring  me  word  again.      So  he  sent  him  out  of  °the 

15.  vale  of  Hebron,*  and  he  came  to  Shechem.     And  °a 
certain  man  found  him,  and,  behold,  he  was  wandering 
in  the  field :  and  the  man  asked  him,  saying,  What  seekest 

16.  thou?     And  he  said,  I  seek2  my  brethren:    tell  me,  I 

17.  pray  thee,  where  they  are  feeding  the  flock.     And  the 
man  said,  They  are  departed  hence :  for  I  heard  them  3 
say,  Let  us  go  to  °Dothan.    And  Joseph  went  after  his 

18.  brethren,  and  found  them  in  Dothan.     And  they  saw 
him  afar  off,   and  before   he  came  near  unto  them, 

19.  they  conspired  against  him  to  °slay  him.  |  And  they 
said   one   to   another,   Behold,    this   dreamer   cometh. 

*SVis.      '  SV  am  seeking.      3  So  Sam. ;  Heb.  om. 

Jacob  as  calling  Joseph  and  sending  him,  without  preface  or  prepa- 
ration, to  see  how  it  was  with  the  flock  and  its  keepers.  This  he 
would  naturally  do  if  the  camp  were  at  Shechem  and  the  flock  in 
the  neighborhood.  It  is  therefore  probable  that  in  the  Ephraimite 
narrative  both  the  birth  of  Benjamin  and  the  disappearance  of  Joseph 
preceded  the  affair  of  Dinah.  See  v.  10;  35  :  26. 

14.  The  latter  half  of   this  verse  is  the   continuation  of   v.  i3a. 
The  vale  of  Hebron.    The  term  vale  sounds  strange  when  applied  to 
Hebron,  but  it  is  precisely  the  one  to  describe  the  district  in  which 
Succoth  was  situated.     Read,  therefore,  as  in  Ps.  60:  6|8,  the  vale  of 
Succoth.     See  v.  12. 

15.  A  certain  man ;  or  a  divine  messenger  in  human  shape. 

17.  The  place  to  which  Joseph  was  directed,  Dothan,  now  Dotan, 
is  a  beautiful  stretch  of  comparatively  level  country  which  is  reached 
about  thirteen  miles  north  of  Shechem.  Near  the  south  end  of  it 
is  a  small  hill  on  and  about  which  the  ancient  city  of  the  same  name 
is  supposed  to  have  been  situated.  See  2  Kgs.  6  :  13  ff.  Near  it 
is  a  spring,  which  is  traditionally,  and  of  course  mistakenly,  identified 
with  the  pit  into  which  Joseph  was  cast  by  his  brethren. 

18  f.  The  authors  here  represented  agree  that  it  was  the  intention 
of  Joseph's  brethren,  from  the  moment  they  saw  him,  to  slay  him, 
but,  as  will  appear,  they  differ  in  their  accounts  of  what  actually 
occurred  when  he  arrived. 

279 


37  :  20  GENESIS 

20.  Come  now  therefore,  and  let  us  slay  him,*  and  cast  him 
into  one  of  the  pits,f  and  we  will  say,  An  evil  beast  hath 
devoured  him:  and  °we  shall  see  what  will  become  of 

J  21.  his  dreams.  |  And  °Reuben  *  heard  it,  and  °delivered 
him  out  of  their  hand;  and  said,  Let  us  not  take  his 

E  22.  life.  |  And  °Reuben  said  unto  them,  Shed  no  blood; 
cast  him  into  this  °pit  that  is  °in  the  wilderness,  but  lay 
no  hand  upon  him:  that  he  might  deliver  him  out  of 

J  23.  their  hand,  to  °restore  him  to  his  father.  |  And  it  came 
to  pass,  when  Joseph  was  come  unto  his  brethren,  that 
°they  stript  Joseph  of  1  his  coat,1  the  coat  of  many  colours 

E  24.  that  was  on  him;  |  and  they  took  him,  and  °cast  him 
into  the  pit :  and  the  pit  was  empty,  there  was  no  water 

1  Gr.  Syr.  om. 

20.  We  shall  see  implies  that  Joseph  himself  at  least  took  his 
dreams  seriously. 

21.  The  first  to  protest  against  the  plan  proposed  is  said  to  have 
been  Reuben,  but  it  is  probable  that  this  verse  is  from  the  Judean 
narrative,  and  that  the  subject  was  originally  Judah,  as  it  is  in  v.  26. 
He  delivered  him  out  of  their  hand  by  preventing  them  from  imme- 
diately carrying  their  plan  into  execution.     See  v.  23. 

22.  It  was  Reuben,  and  not  Judah,  according  to  the  Ephraimite 
version,  who  thus  intervened,  and  with  a  positive  alternative,  to  throw 
him  into  a  pit,  one  of  the  rock-hewn  cisterns,  shaped  like  a  bottle, 
which  are  found  everywhere  in  the  country,  and  which  have  often 
been  used  for  dungeons.     See  Jer.  38  :  6  ff.    This  one  was  the  better 
adapted  for  the  purpose  because  it  was  in  the  wilderness,  an  unin- 
habited region,  where  the  cries  of  the  prisoner  would  not  be  likely 
to  be  heard.     Reuben's  object  was  to  deliver  Joseph  from  the  cistern 
secretly  and  restore  him  to  his  father.     See  further  v.  24. 

23.  This  verse  continues  v.   21.    The  brothers,   in  deference  to 
Judah,  spared   Joseph's   life,  but  they   stript  him  of  his  obnoxious 
coat. 

24.  The  Ephraimite  author  now  proceeds  to  say  that  the  brothers 
actually  cast  him  into  the  pit,  as  Reuben,  according  to  v.  22,  recom- 
mended.   This,  according  to  the  Ephraimite  author,  was  the  last 
that  the  other  sons  of  Jacob  had  to  do  with  Joseph. 

25.  The   Judean   reports   that,    after   his   brothers   had   stripped 

280 


GENESIS  37  :  28 


25.  in  it.  |  And  °they  sat  down  to  eat  bread:    and  they  j 
lifted  up  their  eyes  and  looked,  and,  behold,  °a  1  travel- 
ling company  *  of  Ishmaelites  came 2  from  °Gilead,  with 
their    °camels    bearing    °spicery 3    and    °balm4    and 

26.  °myrrh,5  going  to  carry  it  down  to  Egypt.     And  Judah 
said  unto  his  brethren,  What  profit  is  it  if  we  slay  our 

27.  brother  and  °conceal  his  blood?     Come,  and  let  us  sell 
him  to  the 6  Ishmaelites,  and  let  not  our  hand  be  upon 
him ;  for  °he  is  our  brother,  our 7  flesh.    And  his  brethren 

28.  hearkened  8  unto  him.8  |  And  there  passed  by  °Midian-  E 
ites,  merchantmen ;  and  they  drew  and  lifted  up  Joseph 
out  of  the  pit,  |  and  sold  Joseph  to  the  °Ishmaelites  J 
for  °twenty  pieces  of  silver.    And  they  brought  Joseph 

1  SV  caravan.  '  SV  was  coming.  3  m.  gum  tragacanth  or  storax.  *  m.  mastic. 
3  m.  ladanum.  6  Gr.  these.  ">  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  and  our.  8  So  Syr.  Tar. ;  Vg.  unto 
his -words;  Heb.  om. 

Joseph  of  his  coat,  they  sat  down  to  eat,  and,  while  eating,  saw  a 
travelling  company  of  Ishmaelites.  The  writer  here  forgets  himself 
and  represents  Ishmael,  Jacob's  uncle,  as  already  a  people.  The 
train  consists  of  camels,  in  the  management  of  which  the  Ishmaelites 
were  adepts.  See  i  Chr.  27  :  30.  They  came  from  Gilead,  having 
crossed  the  Jordan  at  Bethshean  and  reached  Dothan  by  the  route 
on  which  now  lies  Jenin.  Spicery:  according  to  Post,  more  precisely 
perfumes.  Balm;  the  so-called  "Mecca  balsam,"  once  produced 
at  Jericho,  but  no  longer  found  anywhere  in  Palestine.  Myrrh;,  or 
ladanum.  All  three  are  among  the  things  enumerated  in  43  :  n 
as  products  of  the  country. 

26.  Conceal  his  blood;    cover  it  with  earth,  and  thus  appease  his 
shade.     See  4  :  10;   Is.  26  :  21 ;  Ezek.  24  :  7  f.     Judah's  idea  is  that, 
if  they  escape  detection,  they  will  make  nothing  by  the  deed  pro- 
posed, while,  if  they  sell  him,  they  will  be  so  much  the  gainers. 

27.  He  is  our  brother;    an  argument  only  less  strong  against  his 
plan  than  against  that  of  his  brothers. 

28.  The  traders  to  whom  Judah  proposed  to  sell  Joseph  he  called 
Ishmaelites.     Here  the  passing  caravan  consists  of  Midianites,  who 
do  not  buy  Joseph  of  his  brothers,  but  rescue  him  from  the  cistern 
into  which  he  has  been  thrown.    This  is  the  natural  interpretation, 
and  it  is  confirmed  by  the  fact  that  Reuben  knows  nothing  of  the 
removal  of  Joseph  from  the  cistern.     It  is  the  Judean  author  who, 

281 


37  :  29  GENESIS 


E   29.   into  Egypt.  |  And  °Reuben  returned  unto  the  pit ;  and, 
behold,  ° Joseph  was  not  in  the  pit;    and  he  rent  his 

30.  clothes.     And  °he  returned  unto  his  brethren,  and  said, 
The  child  Ms  not1;    and  I,  whither  shall  I(go?     And 

31.  they  took  ° Joseph's   coat,  and  killed  a  he-goat,    and 
j  32.  dipped  the  coat  in  the  blood;  |  and  they  °sent  °the 
E          coat  of  many  colours,      and  °they  brought  it 2  to  their 

father;  and  said,  °This  have  we  found:  know  now 
33.  whether  it  be 3  thy  son's  coat  or  not.  And  he  knew  it, 

and  said, 4  It  is 4  my  son's  coat ;  an  evil  beast  hath  de- 
j  voured  him ;  |  Joseph  5  is  °without  doubt  torn  in  pieces.  | 
E  34.  And  °Jacob  rent  his  garments,  and  °put  sackcloth  upon 

1  Syr.  where  is  he.      *  So  Sam.  Syr.;  Heb.  om.       3  SV  is.      *So  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.; 
Heb.  om.       *  Syr.  adds,  my  son. 

in  the  latter  half  of  the  verse,  records  the  sale  of  Joseph,  but  to  the 
Ishmaelites.  Twenty  pieces  of  silver;  according  to  Lev.  27  :  2  ff., 
the  legal  value  of  a  person  between  five  and  twenty  years  of  age. 
Compare  Ex.  21  :  32. 

29.  Reuben  returned  unto  the  pit ;  as  soon  as  he  could  escape  from 
the  company  of  his  brothers.     Joseph  was  not  in  the  pit ;  because, 
according  to  28a,  the  Midianites  had  rescued  him. 

30.  He  returned  unto  his  brethren ;  who  were  as  ignorant  as  he 
what  had  become  of  the  boy. 

31.  Joseph's  coat;  not  here,  so  far  as  can  be  learned,  the  princely 
robe  that  has  been  described,  but  an  ordinary  tunic. 

32.  It  is  the  Judean  author  who  calls  it  the  coat  of  many  colours, 
or,  as  before  explained,  the  long  robe  with  sleeves.     Note  that  he 
says  they  sent  it,  as  they  would  naturally  do  by  one  of  their  number, 
from  Dothan.    The  next  clause,  they  brought  it,  on  the  other  hand, 
implies  nearness.     It  is  therefore  referred  to  the  Ephraimite  source, 
according  to  which,  as  has  been  intimated,  the  scene  is  laid  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Shechem.     This  have  we  found ;    the  first  coat. 
There  could  have  been  no  question  about  the  identity  of  the  other. 

33.  Without  doubt  torn  in  pieces.     Better,  wholly  torn  in  pieces, 
the  emphasis  being,  not  on  the  certainty,  but  the  completeness,  of  the 
act  described.     See  43  :  28. 

34.  Jacob  rent  his  garments;    in  the  first  passionate  outburst  of 
his  grief.     Put  sackcloth  upon  his  loins ;  as  a  token  of  unassuaged 
sorrow.    The   sackcloth,  which   was   probably    in    the    shape   of  a 

282 


GENESIS 


35.  his  loins,  and  mourned  for  his  son  °many  days.  |  And 
all  his  sons  and  °all  his  daughters  *  rose  up  :  to  com- 
fort him ;   but  he  refused  to  be  comforted ;  and  he  said, 
For  I  will  go  down  to  °2  the  grave 2  to  my  son  mourning. 
And  his  father  wept  for  him.  |  And  the  Midianites 

36.  sold  him 3  into  Egypt  unto  °Potiphar,   °an  officer  of 
Pharaoh's,  the  °captain  of  the  guard. 

1  Gr.  assembled  and  came.      '  SV  Sheol.      3  Sam.  Gr.  Joseph. 


loin-cloth,  was  sometimes  the  mourner's  only  covering ;  so  that  he 
was  practically  naked.  See  Is.  20  :  2.  Hastings,  DB,  art.  Sackcloth. 
Many  days.  There  seems  to  have  been  no  fixed  period  of  mourning 
among  the  early  Hebrews.  Joseph  mourned  for  his  father  only 
seven  days  in  Canaan,  but  the  Israelites  for  both  Aaron  and  Moses 
a  whole  month.  See  50  :  10  ;  Num.  20  :  29  ;  Dt.  34  :  8. 

35.  All  his  daughters.     If  the  text  is  correct,  the  term  daughters 
must   here   include   granddaughters.     Perhaps,    however,    since   the 
difference  is  not  so  great  in  Hebrew  as  it  seems  in  English,  the  whole 
clause  should  read,  And  all  his  sons  arose  and  came  to  comfort  him. 
See  the  Greek   Version.     The  grave.     Better,  with  SV,  Sheol,  the 
underworld,  where  the  Hebrews  believed  that  the  departed  main- 
tained a  shadowy  existence  after  death.     See   Piepenbring,   TOT, 
264  ff. 

36.  The  name  Potiphar    is  an  abbreviated  form  of   that  of  the 
priest  of  On,  whose  daughter  became  Joseph's  wife.     The  fuller  form 
is  Potiphera,  Eg.  Pedypre  or  Pedephre,  meaning  Whom  the  Sun  gave. 
See  41  :  45.    It  is  claimed  by  Egyptologists  that  this  name  belongs  to  a 
comparatively  late  class,  and  that  therefore  the  story  of  Joseph  can- 
not be  earlier  than  950  B.C.     See  Enc.   Bib.,  art.   Potiphera.    The 
term  rendered  an  officer  means  strictly  a  eunuch,  but  it  seems  to  have 
been  used  in  the  more  general  sense  of  official.     This  one's  duties 
were  those  of  captain  of  the  guard,  or,  more  exactly,  chief  of  the  exe- 
cutioners.   The  same  name  is  given,  2  Kgs.  25  :  8  ff.,  to  an  officer 
of  the  Babylonian  court. 

The  results  of  the  study  of  this  chapter  may  be  summed  up  as 
follows :  There  are  two  versions  of  the  story  of  the  disappearance  of 
Joseph,  both  of  which  should  precede  chapter  34.  The  older  (J)  re- 
counts that  Joseph,  being  sent  from  Succoth  by  his  father  to  visit 
his  brothers  at  Shechem,  found  them  at  Dothan ;  that  they  received 
him  roughly  and,  but  for  Judah,  would  have  killed  him  out  of  hand ; 
and  that  they  finally,  by  Judah's  advice,  sold  him  to  a  company  of 

283 


38:  i 


GENESIS 


j   38.       And  it  came  to  pass  °at  that  time,  that  °Judah  went 
down  from  his  brethren  and  turned  in  to  a  certain  Adul- 

2.  lamite,  whose  name  was  Hirah.     And  Judah  saw  there 
a  daughter  of  a  certain  Canaanite  whose  *  name  was 

3.  °Shua;  and  °he  took  her,  and  went  in  unto 'her.    And 

1  Syr.  fern. 


Ishmaelite  traders  on  their  way  to  Egypt.  The  younger  (E)  nar- 
rates that  Joseph  was  sent  from  the  camp  at  Shechem  to  a  not  distant 
pasture;  that  his  brothers,  on  seeing  him,  proposed  to  kill  him,  but 
were  persuaded  by  Reuben  to  throw  him  alive  into  an  empty  cistern, 
whence  he  intended  to  rescue  him ;  and  that  a  company  of  Midianite 
merchants,  finding  him  there,  drew  him  out  and  took  him  to  Egypt. 
There  was  another  version  in  the  Priestly  narrative,  but  it  was  omitted, 
with  the  exception  of  v.  2,  in  favor  of  the  earlier,  and  doubtless  more 
interesting,  forms  of  the  story. 

(2)   Judah  and  Tamar,  38  :  1-30 

Judah  marries  a  Canaanitess  by  whom  he  has  three  sons.  The 
first  and  the  second,  one  after  the  other,  marry  Tamar  and  die  by 
the  hand  of  Yahweh.  Then  Judah  directs  the  woman  to  wait  for 
his  youngest  son,  but,  when  the  boy  is  grown,  he  neglects  to  redeem 
his  promise.  Thereupon  Tamar,  disguising  herself  as  a  harlot,  en- 
traps Judah  and,  when  she  is  threatened  with  death  as  an  adulteress, 
forces  him  to  acknowledge  the  paternity  of  her  offspring.  She  finally 
gives  birth  to  twins,  who  are  reckoned  among  the  children  of  Judah. 
The  chapter  is  taken  entire  from  the  Judean  narrative. 

1.  At  that  time ;   not,  as  one  would  infer  from  the  present  connec- 
tion, soon  after  the  disappearance  of  Joseph;  but  since  chapter  37  must 
be  transferred  to  the  end  of  chapter  33,  and  chapter  36  altogether  neg- 
lected, after  Jacob  arrived  at  Migdal-eder,  as  described  in  35  :  21  f. 
Judah  went  down;   as  one  has  to  from  the  highlands  of  Judea  to 
Adullam,  now  Aid  el-Ma,  sixteen  miles  southwest  of  Jerusalem,  and 
two  south  of  Wady  es-Sunt,  the  famous  Valley  of  Elah.     Here  it 
was  that  David  found  a  safe  refuge  for  himself  and  his  followers 
from  the  fury  of  Saul.     See  i  Sam.  22  :  i  ff. 

2.  It  is  not  clear  from  this  connection  whether  Shua  is  the  name 
of  the  father  or  the  daughter,  but  from  v.  12  it  appears  that  it  is  the 
former  who  was  so  called.     He  took  her ;  as  a  wife  ;  at  least,  there  is 
no  evidence  that  he  had  any  other  wife.     This  is  another  instance 
of  the  freedom  the   Hebrews  allowed  themselves  in  the  matter  of 

284 


GENESIS 


she  conceived,  and  bare  a  son;  and  ''he1*   called  his 

4.  name    °Er.     And   she   conceived   again,    and   bare    a 

5.  son;    and  she2  called  his  name  Onan.     And  she  yet 
again  bare  a  son,  and  3  called  his  name  Shelah ;  and  he 4* 

6.  was  at  °Chezib,  when  she  bare  him.     And  Judah  took 
a  wife  for  Er  his  firstborn,  and  her  name  was  °Tamar. 

7.  And  Er,  Judah's  firstborn,  was  wicked  in  the  sight  of 

8.  the  LORD;  and  5the  LORDS  slew  him.    And  Judah 
said  unto  Onan,6  Go  in  unto  thy  brother's  wife,  and 
perform  °the  duty  of  an  husband's  brother  unto  her, 

9.  and  raise  up  seed  to  thy  brother.    And  Onan  knew 
that  the  seed  should  7  not  be  his ;   and  it  came  to  pass, 
when  he  went  in  unto  his  brother's  wife,  that  he  spilled 
it  on  the  ground,  lest  he  should  give  seed  to  his  brother. 


'  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  she.     *  Syr.  he.     3  Syr.  adds,  he.     *  Gr.  she.      s  Gr.  God.      <>  Syr. 
adds,  his  son.      1  SV  would. 


intermarriage  with  foreigners  in  early  as  compared  with  later  times. 
See  34  :  14  f.;  compare  Dt.  7:3;  Ezr.  9  :  i  ff.  Indeed,  this  whole 
story  betrays  a  surprising  lack  of  the  pride  of  race  for  which  they 
have  always  been  distinguished. 

3.  For  he  read,  with  the  Samaritans,  she.  It  was  the  mother, 
according  to  the  early  writers,  who  named  the  children.  Er.  Com- 
pare i  Chr.  4:21,  where  he  is  the  son,  and  not  the  brother,  of  Shelah. 

5.  Chezib  is  an  abbreviated  form  of  Achzib,  a  name  which  occurs 
in  Mic.  i  :  14  in  connection  with  Adullam.    The  place  thus  desig- 
nated was  probably  located  at  the  modern  Ayn  Kezbeh,  between 
two  and  three  miles  north  of  Aid  el-Ma.     In  i  Chr.  4  :  21  f.,  where, 
also,  it  is  connected  with  Shelah,  it  is  called  Cozeba.     Here,  also,  the 
subject  should  evidently   be  feminine.     Read,   therefore,   with  the 
Greek  Version,  she  was  at  Chezib. 

6.  Tamar,  too,  seems  to  have  been  a  Canaanitess. 

8.  The  duty  of  an  husband's  brother ;  which  was  to  take  the  de- 
ceased husband's  wife,  if  he  died  childless,  and  if  there  were  children 
by  this  second  marriage,  reckon  them  to  the  first  husband.     For 
later  modifications  of  the  law,  see  Dt.  25  :  5  ff.;    Ruth  4  :  5  f. 

9.  The  construction  of  the  Hebrew  is  such  as  to  indicate  that  he 
repeatedly  offended  in  the  manner  described. 


38  :  10  GENESIS 


10.  And  the  thing  which  he  did  was  evil  in  the  sight  of  1  the 

11.  LORD1:  and  he  slew  him  also.     Then  said  Judah  to 
Tamar  his  daughter  in  law,  Remain  a  widow  in  thy 
father's  house,  °till  Shelah   my  son  be  grown  up:   for 
he  said,   °Lest  he  also  die,  like  his  brethren.     And 

12.  Tamar  went  and  dwelt  in  °her  father's  house.     And  in 
process  of  time  Shua's  daughter,  the  wife  of  Judah, 
died ;  and  ° Judah  was  comforted,  and  went  up  unto  his 
sheepshearers  to  °Timnah,  he   and   his  friend 2  Hirah 

13.  the  Adullamite.    And  it  was  told  Tamar,3  saying,  Be- 
hold, thy  father  in  law  goeth  up  to  Timnah  to  shear 

14.  his  sheep.     And  she  put  off  from  her  the  garments  of 
her  widowhood,  and  °covered  herself  with  her  veil,  and 
°wrapped 4  herself,  and  sat  5oin  the  gate  of  °Enaim,5 


1  Gr.  God.  '  Gr.  shepherd.  3  Sam.  adds,  his  daughter-in-law.  *  Gr.  Syr.  Tar. 
decked.  *  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  at  the  parting  of  the  ways. 

11.  Till  Shelah  my  son  be  grown  up  is  a  virtual  promise,  but 
Judah  did  not  intend  to  keep  it,  for  he  said,  to  himself,  thought,  Lest 
he  also  die,  like  his  brethren.     He  suspected  it  was  Tamar's  fault, 
rather  than  theirs,  that  he  had  already  lost  two  sons.     See  Tob. 
37  ff.     Her  father's  house.     See  Lev.  22  :  13.     From  v.  14  it  would 
appear  that  her  home  was  at  Enaim. 

12.  The  notice  of  the  death  of  Judah's  wife  at  first  sight  seems 
irrelevant;    but  this  is  not  the  case,  since  this  event  made  it  his  duty 
to  marry  Tamar  if  he  did  not  give  her  to  Shelah.    The  opportunity 
to  remind  him  of  this  duty  came  after  Judah  was  comforted,  i.e., 
when  the  period  of  mourning  for  his  wife  was  ended.     He  seems  to 
have  been  living  at  Adullam,  but  his  flock  was  at  Timnah,  now  Tibneh, 
a  place  about  four  miles  distant  in  a  northeasterly  direction.     It  is 
mentioned  in  Josh.  15  :  57  as  one  of  the  cities  of  the  hill  country. 

14.  Covered  herself;  threw  a  large  piece  of  stuff  over  her  head, 
that  she  might  not  be  recognized.  See  24  :  65.  Wrapped  herself. 
Better,  perhaps,  with  some  of  the  versions,  decked  herself,  to  attract 
Judah's  attention.  Enaim ;  probably  the  Enam  mentioned  in  Josh. 
15  :  34  in  connection  with  Adullam.  By  taking  her  place,  dressed 
as  she  was,  in  the  gate,  she  advertised  herself  as  a  harlot.  Her  ex- 
cuse for  this  extraordinary  proceeding  was  the  same  that  Ruth  had 
to  offer  when  she,  likewise  veiled,  lay  down  beside  Boaz  on  the 

286 


GENESIS 


which  is  by  the  way  to  Timnah ;  for  she  saw  that  Shelah 
was  grown  up,  and  she  was  not  given  unto  him  to  wife. 

15.  When  Judah  saw  her,  °he  thought  her  to  be  an  harlot; 

1 6.  for  she  had  covered  her  face.1     And  he  turned  unto  her 
by  the  way,  and  said,  Go  to,  I  pray  thee,  let  me  come  in 
unto  thee :  for  he  knew  not  that  she  was  his  daughter  in 
law.     And  she  said,  What  wilt  thou  give  me,  that  thou 

17.  mayest  come  in  unto  me?    And  he  said,  I  will  send 
thee  a  kid  of  the  goats  from  the  flock.     And  she  said, 

18.  Wilt  thou  give  me 2  °a  pledge,  till  thou  send  it  ?     And  he 
said,  What  pledge  shall  I  give  thee?     And  she  said, 
°Thy  signet  and  °cord,  and  °thy  staff  that  is  in  thine 
hand.    And  he  gave  them  to  her,  and  came  in  unto  her, 

19.  and  she  conceived  by  him.     And  she  arose,  and  went 
away,  and  put  off  her  veil  from  her,  and  °put  on  the 

20.  garments  of  her  widowhood.    And  Judah  sent  the  kid 

1  Gr.  adds,  and  he  did  not  recognize  her.        *  So  Syr.;  Heb.  om. 


threshing  floor  at  Bethlehem,  viz.,  that  the  man  in  the  case  owed  it 
to  her  to  provide  her  with  a  husband  or  make  her  his  own  wife. 
See  Ruth  3  :  3,  7. 

15.  He  thought  her  to  be  an  harlot.  From  v.  21  it  seems  that  he 
took  her  for  one  of  the  women,  of  whom  there  were  many  among  the 
Canaanites,  who  sacrificed  their  virtue  in  the  service  of  Astarte. 
See  Hos.  4  :  13  f. 

17.  A  pledge,  till  thou  send  it.     Her  object  was  to  get  something 
that  she  could'  keep  as  evidence  against  Judah.     See  v.  25. 

18.  Thy  signet.    The  signet  was  a  seal  ring.     It  was  sometimes 
worn  on  the  right  hand  (Jer.  22  :  24),  but  Judah  carried  his  on  a 
cord  hung  about  his  neck.     It  was  generally  carefully  guarded,  be- 
cause it  represented  its  owner.     Hence  it  became  a  symbol  for  any- 
thing precious.     See  Hag.  2  :  23.     Thy  staff.    The  staff  is  as  much 
a  part  of  a  rural  oriental's  outfit  as  any  part  of  his  dress.     In  ancient 
Egypt  these  staves  always  had  something  peculiar  about  them  to 
mark  them  as  the  private  property  of  certain  persons. 

19.  She  put  on  the  garments  of  her  widowhood.     Having  played 
her  part  without  passion,  she  resumes  her  weeds  without  regret. 

287 


38  :2i  GENESIS 


of  the  goats  by  the  hand  of  his  friend l  the  Adullamite, 
to  receive  the  pledge  from  the  woman's  hand:    but  he 

21.  found  her  not.     Then  he  asked  the  men  of  her2  place, 
saying,  °Where  is  the 3  harlot,4  that  was 5  at  Enaim  by 
the  way  side?    And  they  said,  There  hath  been  no  har- 

22.  lot4  here.     And  he  returned  to  Judah,  and  said,  I  have 
not  found  her ;   and  also  the  men  of  the  place  said,  There 

23.  hath  been  no  harlot 4  here.     And  Judah  said,  °Let  her 
take 6  it  to  her,8  7olest  we  7  be  put  to  shame :   behold,  I 

24.  sent  this  kid,  and  thou  hast  not  found  her.     And  it  came 
to  pass  about  three  months  after,  that  °it  was  told  Judah, 
saying,  Tamar  thy  daughter  in  law  hath  played  the 
harlot;    and  moreover,  behold,  she  is  with  child  by 
whoredom.    And  Judah  said,   °Bring.  her  forth,  and 

25.  °let  her  be  burnt.     °When  she  was  brought  forth,  she 
sent  to  her  father  in  law,  saying,  By  the  man,  whose 
these  are,  am  I  with  child:  and  she  said,  Discern,  I 


'  Gr.  shepherd.      '  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  the.      3  Sam.  that.       *  SV  prostitute.      *  Syr. 
sat.      6  Gr.  them.     1  Gr.  but  let  us  not ;  Syr.  lest  I. 


21.   Where  is  the  harlot.    On  the  word  here  used  (SV  prostitute) 
see  v.  15. 

23.  Let  her  take  it  to  her.     In  the  original  the  object  is  omitted, 
but  there  can  be  little  doubt  that,  as  the  English  translators  have 
indicated  by  supplying  the  pronoun  it,  the  kid  is  the  thing  intended. 
A  better  rendering,  however,  would  have  been,  Let  her  fetch  it  for 
herself.    The  Greek  Version  supplies  them,  referring  to  the  pledges. 
Lest  we  be  put  to  shame ;  become  the  laughing-stock  of  the  country- 
side.   The  author  has  no  intention  of  picturing  Judah  as  a  shameless 
libertine. 

24.  It  was  told  Judah ;   because  Tamar  was  regarded  as  pledged 
to  his  son,  and  she  had  offended  against  him  and  his  house.     Bring 
her  forth ;  outside  the  place.     Let  her  be  burnt.     So  the  Philistines 
burnt   Samson's   wife,    when   she   deserted   him.     See   Jud.    15  :  6. 
The  later  law  in  such  cases  is  found  in  Dt.  22  :  23  f. 

25.  When  she  was  brought  forth;    in  the  last  extremity.     Even 
then  she  does  not  openly  accuse  her  father-in-law,  but  appeals  to  his 

288 


GENESIS  38  :  30 


pray  thee,  whose  are  these,  the  signet,  and  the  ''cords,1* 

26.  and  the  staff.     And  Judah  acknowledged  them,  and 
said,  °She2  is  more  righteous  than  I;   forasmuch  as  I 
gave  her  not  to  Shelah  my  son.     And  he  knew  her  again 

27.  no  more.     And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  time  of  her 

28.  travail,  that,  behold,  twins  were  in  her  womb.     And  it 
came  to  pass,  when  she  travailed,  that  one  put  out  a 
hand:  and  the  midwife  took  and  bound  upon  his  hand 

29.  a  scarlet  thread,  saying,  This  came  out  first.     And  it 
came  to  pass,  as  he  drew  back  his  hand,  that,  behold, 
his  brother  came  out :   and  she  said,  °Wherefore  3  hast 
thou  made  a  breach  4  for  thyself  ?  4  therefore  °5  his  name 

30.  was  *  called  5  °Perez.      And    afterward   came  out  his 
brother,  that  had  the  scarlet   thread  upon  his  hand: 
and  5  his  name  was  *  called 5  Zerah. 


1  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  sing.  *  Gr.  Tamar.  3  m.  How.  *  m.  a  breach  be  upon 
theel  Sam.  on  us.  5  Sam.  Syr.  she  called  his  name. 

sense  of  justice.  Cords  is  clearly  a  copyist's  mistake  for  cord.  See 
the  Versions. 

26.  She  is  more  righteous  than  I.  She  had  risked,  not  only  her 
reputation,  but  her  life,  for  the  honor  of  perpetuating  his  family. 
In  after  ages  David  and  his  successors  were  proud  to  trace  their 
lineage  to  her.  This  is  really  the  end  of  the  story,  the  rest  of  the 
chapter  being  merely  another  of  the  curious  instances  of  parono- 
masia with  which  the  Judean  narrative  abounds. 

29.  Wherefore  hast  thou  made  a  breach,  lit.  broken  a  breach.  His 
name  was  called.  Better,  with  the  Samaritans  and  the  Syriac  Ver- 
sion, she  called  his  name.  So  also  v.  30.  Perez  ;  Heb.  peres,  breach. 

There  is  difficulty  with  the  chronology  of  the  story  of  Judah  and 
Tamar  in  its  present  setting.  The  inference  from  its  position  is  that 
Judah  married  soon  after  Joseph  was  carried  to  Egypt.  The  latter 
was  then,  according  to  37  :  i,  seventeen  years  old.  Only  twenty- 
two  years  later,  according  to  41  :  46  and  45  :  n,  when  Jacob  mi- 
grated to  Egypt  with  the  rest  of  this  family,  Judah  had  five  sons,  the 
last  two  having  been  born  after  the  third,  Selah,  had  grown  to  man- 
hood. Moreover,  one  of  these  two  himself  had  two  sons.  See  46  :  12. 
This  is  clearly  incredible.  If,  however,  this  chapter  be  read  as  a  part 
of  the  Judean  narrative,  without  reference  to  the  chronological  sys- 
TJ  289 


39  :  I  GENESIS 


j    39.       And  *  Joseph  was  brought 1  down  to  Egypt ;    and  | 

R  °Potiphar,  an  officer  of  Pharaoh's,  the  captain  of  the 

J  guard,  |  °an  Egyptian,  bought  him  of  the  hand  of  the 

Ishmaelites,    which    had   brought   him   down    thither. 

2.  And  the  LORD  was  with  Joseph,  and  he  was  a  prosper- 
ous man;   and  he  was  in  °the  house  of  his  master  °the 

3.  Egyptian.     And  his  master  saw  that  the  LORD  was  with 
him,  and  that  the  LORD  made  all  that  he  did  to  prosper 

4.  in  his  hand.     And  Joseph  found  grace 2  in  °his  3  sight,  | 
;  j  °and  he  4  ministered  unto  4  him :  |  and  he  made  him 

1  Syr.  the  Midianites  brought  Joseph.  *  SV  favor.  3  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  add,  master's. 
*  Gr.  pleased. 

tern  of  the  Priestly  source,  the  difficulty  largely  disappears,  since 
time  is  then  required  only  for  the  birtn  of  three  children  from  one 
mother  and  the  growth  of  the  youngest  to  early  maturity. 

(3)  The  rise  of  Joseph,  39:  1-41:  57 

The  narrative  now  returns  to  the  fortunes  of  Joseph  and  traces  the 
steps  by  which  the  Hebrew  slave  became  the  prime  minister  of  Egypt, 
the  first  paragraph  picturing  him  as 

(a)  A  slave  in  Egypt,  39  :  1-20.  Joseph,  being  bought  by  an 
Egyptian,  becomes  so  useful  that  little  by  little  his  master  gives  him 
complete  control  of  the  house.  Then  his  master's  wife,  becoming 
enamoured  of  him,  approaches  him  with  improper  solicitations,  and, 
when  he  repulses  her,  accuses  him  of  being  the  offender ;  whereupon 
his  master  throws  him  into  prison.  The  story  is  from  the  Judean 
narrative,  but  it  has  been  slightly  modified  to  adapt  it  to  its  present 
context. 

1.  In  37  :  36  the  Ephraimite  author  of  that  passage  says  that 
Joseph,  when  brought  to  Egypt,  was  sold  to  an  Egyptian  officer  by  the 
name  of  Potiphar.    The  Judean  writer  was  not  so  specific.     He  said 
originally  that  Joseph's  master  was  an  Egyptian,  the  words  Potiphar, 
an  officer  of  Pharaoh's,  the  captain    of  the  guard  being   clearly  an 
editorial  addition  to  bring  this  passage  into  harmony  with  the  other. 
See  v.  2. 

2.  The  house  of  his  master ;  his  private  residence.     The  Egyptian. 
See  v.  i. 

4.  His  sight,  i.e.,  as  the  Samaritans  have  it,  his  master's  sight.  And 
he  ministered  unto  him  is  supposed  to  be  a  fragment  from  the  Ephraim- 

290 


GENESIS 


39 


°overseer  over  his  house,  and  all  that  he  had  he  put  into 

5.  his  hand.    And  it  came  to  pass  from  the  time  that  he 
made  him  overseer  in  his  house,  and  over  all  that  he  had, 
that  the  LORD  blessed  the  Egyptian's  house  °for  Joseph's 
sake ;  and  the  blessing  of  the  LORD  was  upon  all  that  he 

6.  had,  in  the  house  and  in  the  field.  |  And  he  left  all  that   R 
he  had  in  Joseph's  hand ;  |  and  1  he  knew  not  aught  J 
that  was  with  him,1  save  the  bread  which  he  did  eat.  | 

7.  And  Joseph  was  °comely,  and  well  favoured.2     And  it   R 
came  to  pass  after  these  things,  |  that  his  master's  wife   J 
cast  her  eyes  upon  Joseph ;   and  she  said,  Lie  with  me. 

8.  But  he  refused,  and  said  unto  his  master's  wife,  Behold, 
my  master  knoweth  not  3  what  is  with  me 3  in  the 4 
house,  and  he  hath  put  all  that  he  hath  into  my  hand; 

9.  °5  there  is  none5  greater  in  this  house  than  I;   neither 
hath  he  kept  back  any  thing  from  me  but  thee,  because 
thou  art  his  wife :  how  then  can  I  do  this  great 6  wicked- 

10.  ness,  and  sin  °against  God?    And  it  came  to  pass,  as 
she  spake  to  Joseph  7  day  by  day,  that  he  hearkened  not 

1 1 .  unto  her,  to  lie  *  by  her,  or  8  to  be  |  with  her.    And  it 


1  m.  -with  him  he  knew  not.      *  Gr.  adds,  very.      3  m.  with  me  what  is.    *  Sam. 
Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  his.      s  m.  SV  he  is  not.     6  Gr.  Vg.  om.       1  Syr.  him.       8  Syr.  and. 


ite  source,  perhaps  the  continuation  of  37  :  36.  Overseer;  steward. 
Such  an  official  was  found  in  large  establishments  in  Egypt  from  the 
earliest  times. 

5.  For  Joseph's  sake.     See  30  :  27. 

6.  Comely,  and  well  favoured  ;  like  his  mother  Rachel.     See  29 :  17. 
This  description  is  intended  to  explain  the  infatuation  of  his  mistress. 

7.  Egyptian  women  associated  freely  with  men,  and  male  servants 
had  the  freedom  of  the  house.     See  Erman,  LA  E,  305  ff. 

9.  There  is  none   greater.     Better,   with   SV,   he   is  not  greater. 
Against  God.     It  would  be  impious  as  well  as  dishonorable.     On  the 
name  God  see  3:1. 

10.  The  words  marked,  which  should  read  beside  her  to  be,  only  dis- 
turb the  evident  meaning. 

291 


39  :  12  GENESIS 


came  to  pass  about  this  time,  that  °he  **  went  into  the 
house  to  do  his  work 2 ;  °and  there  was  none  of  the  men 

12.  of  the  house  there  within.     And  she  caught  him  by  °his 
garment,3  saying,  Lie  with  me :  and  he  left  his  garment  3 

13.  in  her  hand,  and  fled,  and  got  him  out.     And  it  came  to 
pass,  when  she  saw  that  he  had  left  his  garment  in  her 

14.  hand,  and  was  fled  4  forth,  that  she  called  unto  the  men 
of  her  house,  and  spake  unto  them,  saying,  See,  he  hath 
brought  in  an  Hebrew  unto  us  °to  mock  us ;  he  came  in 
unto  me  to  5  lie  with  me,  and  I  cried  with  a  loud  voice : 

15.  and  it  came  to  pass,  when  he  heard  that  I  lifted  up  my 
voice  and  cried,  that  he  left  his  garment 3  °6  by  me,6  and 

1 6.  fled,  and  got  him  out.     And  she  laid  up  his  garment 3 

17.  by  her,  until  his  master  came  home.    And  she  spake 
unto  him  according  to  these  words,  saying,  The  Hebrew 
servant,  which 7  thou  hast  brought  °unto  us,  came  in  unto 


1  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Joseph.  *  Sam.  adds,  in  the  house.  3  Sam.  Gr.  plu. 
*  Heb.  mss.  Sam.  Gr.  add,  and  got  him.  s  Gr.  adds,  saying.  6  Sam.  in  wy  hand; 
Syr.  in  my  hands.  1  SV  -whom. 


11.  For  he  went  read,  with  the  Samaritans  and  the  Versions,  Joseph 
went.    And  there  was,  etc.     Better,  none  of  the  men  of  the  house  being 
there  within. 

12.  His  garment.    The  word  here  rendered  garment  also  has  the 
collective  meaning  raiment,  but  in  this  case  the  former  is  preferable. 
About  the  time  when  Joseph  is  supposed  to  have  lived  men  in  Egypt 
began  to  wear  a  kind  of  cape  or  wrap  which  was  the  first  form  of 
covering  for  the  upper  part  of  the  body.    This  garment  here  serves 
the  same  purpose  as  the  cup  in  chapter  44. 

14.  The  transformation  of  a  reckless  love  into  an  equally  reckless 
hate  is  noticeably  true  to  nature.     To  mock  us ;   a  shrewd  bid  for  the 
sympathy  of  Joseph's  subordinates. 

15.  For  by  me  the  Samaritans  read  in  my  hand,  and  the  Syriac 
Version  in  my  hands;  but  neither  of  these  variants  can  be  correct,  for 
the  author  would  not  allow  so  cunning  a  character  as  this  Egyptian 
woman  to  betray  herself  by  admitting  that  she  had  seized  Joseph  by 
his  garment.     See  v.  18,  where  the  Samaritans  have  by  me. 

17.   Unto  us  ;  a  skilful  turn  to  make  the  husband  think  that  the  rest 
292 


GENESIS 

18.  me  to  mock  me  * :  and  it  came  to  pass,  as  I  lifted  up  my 
voice  and  cried,  that  he  left  his  garment 2  3  by  me,3  and 

19.  fled 4  out.     And  it  came  to  pass,  when  his  master  heard 
the  words  of  his  wife,  which  she  spake  unto  him,  say- 
ing, After  this  manner  did  thy  servant  to  me;   that  his 

20.  wrath  was  kindled.     And  Joseph's  master  took  him, 
and  put  him  into  °the  prison,  |   °the  place  where  the   R 
king's  prisoners  were  bound :  |  5  and  he  was  5  there  in   J 
the  prison. 

1  Gr.  adds,  and  said  unto  me,  I  will  lie  with  Ihee;  Syr.  us.  *  Sam.  Gr.  plu. 
s  Syr.  in  my  hands.  *  Heb.  mss.  Gr.  Syr.  add,  and  got  him.  *  Gr.  om. 

of  the  household  sympathize  with  her.  The  Greek  Version  adds 
to  this  verse,  and  said  unto  me,  I  will  lie  with  thee  ;  and  these  words, 
or  their  equivalent,  may  well  have  been  found  in  the  original  writing. 

20.  The  place  into  which  Joseph  was  thrown  in  this  story  was 
originally  the  common  prison,  but,  when  the  Judean  and  Ephraimite 
narratives  were  combined,  the  descriptive  clause  the  place  where 
the  king's  prisoners  were  bound  was  added  to  bring  this  passage  into 
accord  with  40  :  3.  The  difficulties  thus  produced  will  appear  in 
the  next  paragraph. 

The  story  here  told  has  a  striking  parallel  in  an  Egyptian  romance, 
written  toward  the  close  of  the  thirteenth  century  B.C.,  called  "The 
Tale  of  the  Two  Brothers."  Briefly  told,  it  runs  as  follows:  There 
were  two  brothers,  Anpu  and  Bata.  Anpu,  the  elder,  had  a  home  and 
a  wife,  and  Bata  lived  with  him,  tending  his  cattle  and  helping  him 
in  the  labors  of  the  field.  Once,  when  they  were  preparing  a  piece 
of  land,  Anpu  sent  his  younger  brother  home  for  some  grain  with 
which  to  sow  it.  The  young  man  went  to  the  house,  where  he  found 
his  sister-in-law  at  her  toilet,  and  asked  her  for  the  needed  seed.  She 
sent  him  alone  to  get  it,  but,  when  he  came  back,  stopped  him,  and, 
after  complimenting  him  on  his  strength,  assailed  his  virtue.  He 
rejected  her  advances  and  returned  to  the  field  filled  with  indigna- 
tion, but  said  nothing  to  his  brother  about  the  matter.  When  Anpu 
came  home  at  night,  however,  his  wife,  who  pretended  to  have  suffered 
violence,  declared  that  Bata  was  the  offender.  The  enraged  husband 
hid  himself  behind  the  stable  door,  intending  to  kill  his  brother  when 
he  came  home,  but  the  cattle  warned  the  young  man,  and,  as  he  fled, 
the  sun-god  created  a  stream  between  him  and  his  pursuer.  The  next 
morning,  as  the  two  stood  on  opposite  sides  of  this  stream,  Bata  told 
Anpu  what  really  took  place  at  the  house;  then  he  departed  to  "  the 

293 


39 


39  :2i  GENESIS 


j   21.       But  °the  LORD  was  with  Joseph,  and  shewed  kind- 
ness unto  him,  and  gave  him  favour  in  the  sight  of  the 

22.  keeper  of  the  prison.     And  the  keeper  of  the  prison 
committed  to  Joseph's  hand  1  °all  the  prisoners  that 
were  in  the  prison ;  and  whatsoever  they  did  there,  2  he 

23.  was  the  doer  of  it.2    The  keeper  of  the  prison  looked 
not  to  any  thing  that  was  °under  his  hand,3  because  the 
LORD  was  with  him ;  and  that 4  which  he  did,  the  LORD 


1  Gr.  adds,   the  prison  and.      a  Gr.   om.       3  Gr.  adds,  for  all  things  were  in 
Joseph's  hand.      •*  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  all  that. 


mountain  of  cedar,"  while  his  brother  went  home  and  put  to  death  the 
guilty  woman.  There  are  those  who  claim  that  the  story  of  Joseph 
and  his  master's  wife  was  suggested  by  this  one,  but,  should  this  be 
admitted,  it  would  not  follow  that  Joseph  is  a  fictitious  character. 

(b)  In  an  Egyptian  prison,  39:21-40:23.  Joseph,  having  been 
thrown  into  prison,  soon  wins  the  confidence  of  the  keeper  and  be- 
comes in  effect  his  deputy.  When,  therefore,  Pharaoh's  chief  butler 
and  chief  baker  are  imprisoned,  Joseph  comes  into  contact  with  them, 
and  when  they  need  an  interpreter  for  dreams  that  seem  to  them 
ominous,  he  serves  them  in  this  capacity,  foretelling  the  restoration 
of  the  former  and  the  execution  of  his  companion.  These  predictions 
are  fulfilled,  but,  for  the  time  being,  Joseph  is  forgotten.  The  rest 
of  chapter  39  is  from  the  Judean,  but  chapter  40  from  the  Ephraimite, 
narrative,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  fragments. 

21.  The  paragraph  opens  with  a  puzzling  statement.     In  39  :  i 
the  Egyptian  to  whom  the  Ishmaelites  sold  Joseph  was  identified 
with  Potiphar,  the  captain  of  the  guard.     It  was  therefore  the  captain 
of  the  guard,  according  to  the  received  text,  who,  on  complaint  of  his 
wife,  threw  Joseph  into  prison.    The  prison,  however,  according  to 
40  :  3  f.,  was  in  Potiphar' s  own  house,  and  he  himself  was  its  warden. 
Thus,  when  the  author  says  that  the  LORD  gave  him  favour  in  the  sight 
of  the  keeper  of  the  prison,  it  can  only  mean  that  Potiphar  almost  at 
once  forgot  the  young  Hebrew's  alleged  offence  and  gave  him  as 
responsible  a  position  in  the  prison  as  he  previously  enjoyed  in  the 
household.    To  avoid  this  contradictory  outcome  remove  the  added 
words  from  v.  i;    then  Potiphar  and  the  Egyptian  become  distinct 
persons,  and  this  keeper  of  the  prison  (the  common  prison)  a  hitherto 
unknown  third  whose  favor  Joseph  was  free  to  win  by  his  faithfulness. 

22.  All  the  prisoners;  i.e.,  all  the  other  prisoners. 

23.  Under  his  hand ;   the  hand  of  the  keeper.    The  Greek  Version 

294 


GENESIS 


40  :5 


40.   made  it  to  prosper.1  |  And  it  came  to  pass  °after  these   E 
things,  |  that  °the  butler 2  of  the  king  of  Egypt  and  his   J 

2.  baker 3  offended  their  lord  the  king  of  Egypt.  |  And   E 
Pharaoh  was  wroth  against  his  two  officers,  against  °the 
chief  of  the  butlers,  and  against  the  chief  of  the  bakers. 

3.  And  he  put  them  in  ward  °in  the  house  of  the  captain  of 
the  guard,  |  °4  into  the  prison,4  the  place  where  Joseph   j 

4.  was  bound.  |  And  °the  captain  of  the  guard  charged   E 
Joseph  with  them,  and  he  ministered  unto  them:    and 

5.  they  continued  a  season  in  ward.     And  °they  dreamed 
a  dream  both  of  them,  °*5  each  man  his  dream,5  f  in 


1  Gr.  adds,  in  his  hands.       3  Gr.  chief  butler.       3  Gr.  chief  baker.      +  Syr.  om. 
5  Gr.  mss.  om. 


adds  the  correct  comment,  for  all  things,  all  the  keeper's  duties,  were 
in  Joseph's  hands. 

40  :  i.  Thus  far  the  Judean  narrative,  according  to  which,  as  ex- 
plained, Joseph  was  himself  a  prisoner  intrusted  with  the  oversight 
of  the  rest  of  the  inmates  of  the  common  prison.  From  this  point  on- 
ward the  compiler  uses  the  Ephraimite  source,  according  to  which 
Joseph  was  a  slave  belonging  to  the  captain  of  the  guard,  and  warden 
of  the  royal  prison,  inserting  here  and  there  a  few  words  from  the 
Judean  account  of  Joseph's  further  experience  in  prison.  After  these 
things;  the  things  related  in  37  :  36,  where  the  last  extract  from  the 
Ephraimite  source  ended.  The  butler  .  .  .  and  his  baker.  They 
were  originally  slaves  and  personal  attendants  of  the  king,  but  in 
process  of  time  they  became  court  officials,  who  exercised  great  in- 
fluence in  Egyptian  affairs.  They  are  both  pictured  or  described  on 
the  monuments. 

2.  The  chief  of  the  butlers.     Compare  the  terms  used  in  v.  i  (J). 

3.  The  offending  officials,  were  put,  according  to  the  Ephraimite 
version  of  the   story,  in  the  house   of   Potiphar,  the  captain  of  the 
guard,  but,  according  to  the  Judean,  into  the  place  where  Joseph  was 
bound,  imprisoned. 

4.  The  captain  of  the  guard  charged  Joseph  with  them ;    Joseph 
being  his  personal  slave.     They  thus  received  special  attention. 

5.  They  dreamed  a  dream  both  of  them ;    a   rather   ambiguous 
expression  which  some  one  has  explained  by  adding,  each  man  his 
dream.    The  Egyptians  courted  dreams  and  spent  much  thought  on 
their  interpretation. 

295 


40  :  6  GENESIS 


one  night,  each  man  according  to  the  interpretation  of 
j  his  dream,  |  the  butler  and  the  baker  of  the  king  of 

E  6.  Egypt,  which  1  were  bound  in  the  prison.  |  And  Joseph 

came  in  unto  them  in  the  morning,  and  saw  them,  and, 

7.  behold,    they    were    sad.     And    he    asked    Pharaoh's 
officers    that    were    °*  with     him  f    in    ward    in    his 
master's   house,  saying,  Wherefore  look  ye  so  sadly 2 

8.  to-day?     And  they  said  unto  him,  We  have  dreamed 
a  dream,  and  there  is  °none  that  can  interpret  it.     And 
Joseph  said  unto  them,  °Do  not  interpretations 3  be- 

9.  long  to   God  ?     Tell  it  me,  I  pray  you.     And  the  chief 
butler  told  his  dream  to  Joseph,  and  said  to  him,  In  my 

10.  dream,  behold,  a  vine  was  before  me;   and  in  the  vine 
were  three  branches:   and  it  was  as  though  it  budded, 
and  its  blossoms  shot  forth;    and  the  clusters  thereof 

11.  brought  forth  ripe  grapes:    and  Pharaoh's  cup  was  in 
my  hand ;  and  °I  took  the  grapes,  and  pressed  them  into 

1  SV  who.      '  SV  sad.      3  Gr.  adds,  of  them;  Tar.  adds,  of  dreams. 


7.  The  phrase  with  him  would  have  been  in  place  in  5b,  but  it 
contradicts  its  present  context,  since,  according  to  the  Ephraimite 
writer,  Joseph  was  a  slave,  but  not  a  prisoner. 

8.  None  that  can  interpret  it  is  inexact.    The  original  reads,  there 
is  no  one  interpreting  it,  i.e.,  there  is  no  one  within  reach  to  interpret  it. 
The  insertion  of  a  single  letter  would  make  it  read  even  better,  viz., 
there  is  no  interpreter  with  us.    They  could  easily  have  found  persons 
in  any  number  who  made  it  their  business  to  interpret  dreams,  if 
they  had  been  at  liberty.     Do  not  interpretations  belong  to  God? 
and,  one  must  supply  in  thought,  he  can  reveal  them  through  any  one. 

10.  The  movement  of  the  butler's  description  of  his  vine  is  retarded 
and  the  effect  impaired  by  the  connectives  that  the  translators  have 
inserted  into  it.     A  better  rendering  would  be,  hardly  budded,  its 
blossoms  shot  up,  its  clusters  ripened  grapes.     It  seemed  to  pass  through 
all  these  stages  before  his  eyes.    The  culture  of  grapes  for  wine  was 
one  of  the  important  industries  in  Egypt  from  the  earliest  times. 

11.  I  took  the  grapes,  etc.    These  acts  are  all  symbolic  of  the  office 
of  the  butler,  but  they  must  not  be  interpreted  as  meaning  that  the 

296 


GENESIS  40  :  17 


Pharaoh's  cup,  and  I  gave  the  cup  into  Pharaoh's  hand. 

12.  And  Joseph  said  unto  him,  This  is  the  interpretation 

13.  of  it1:    the  three  branches  are  three  days;    within  yet 
three  days  shall  Pharaoh  °lift  up  thine 2  head,  and  re- 
store thee  unto  thine  office:    and  thou  shalt  give  Pha- 
raoh's cup  into  his  hand,  after  the  former  manner  when 

14.  thou  wast  his  butler.     But  have  me  in  thy  remembrance 
when  it  shall  be  well  with  thee,  and  shew  kindness,3  I 
pray  thee,  unto  me,  and  make  mention  of  me  unto 

15.  Pharaoh,  and  bring  me  out  of  °this  house4:   for  in- 
deed °I  was  stolen  away  out  of  the  land  of  the  Hebrews :  | 
and   here   also  have  I   done  nothing  that  they  should  J 

16.  put  me  into  °the5  dungeon.6  |  When  °the  chief  baker  E 
saw  that  the  interpretation  was  good,   he  said  unto 
Joseph,  I  also  was  in  my  dream,  and,  behold,  °three 

17.  baskets  of  white  bread  were  °on  my  head:   and  °in  the 
uppermost  basket  there  was  of  °all  manner  of  bake- 

*  Syr.  thy  dream.        »  SV  thy.       3  Syr.  adds,  and  truth.        *  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Tar. 
Prison.      s  Gr.  this.      6  Syr.  Tar.  Prison. 

kings  of  Egypt  drank  only  unfermented  grape  juice,  for  such  was  not 
the  case. 

13.  On  the  expression  lift  up  thine  head  see  2  Kgs.  25  :  27. 

14.  This  house.    The  Versions  have  prison;   but  in  this  case  the 
Hebrew  reading  is  undoubtedly  correct,  for  Joseph  is  here,  not  a  pris- 
oner, but  a  slave  in  the  house  of  the  warden  of  a  prison. 

15.  The  complaint  I  was  stolen  away  is  in  harmony  with  this  inter- 
pretation.   The  latter  half  of  the  verse,  on  the  other  hand,  with  its 
reference  to  chapter  39,  properly  calls  the  place  the  dungeon. 

1 6.  The  chief  baker  saw  that  the  interpretation  was  good;    and 
naively  gave  Joseph  credit  for  its  favorable  character.    The  baker's 
dream,  like  the  butler's,  illustrates  the  law  that  the  dreamer  gets  the 
materials  for  his  dream  from  his  own  experience.     Three  baskets  of 
white  bread.     Better,  perhaps,  three  baskets  for  fine  bakestuff.     On 
my  head ;  the  usual  method  of  carrying  their  wares  employed  by  the 
bakers  of  ancient  Egypt. 

17.  In  the  uppermost  basket;  the  others  being  empty.     See  v.  16. 
All  manner  of  bakemeats ;   lit.  of  all  the  food  of  Pharaoh,  work  of 

297 


40  i  i8  GENESIS 


meats  1  for  Pharaoh  2 ;   and  °the  birds  did  eat  them  out 

18.  of  the  basket  upon  my  head.     And  Joseph  answered 
and   said,    This   is   the   interpretation   thereof3:    The 

19.  three  baskets  are  three  days;    °within  yet  three  days 
shall  Pharaoh  lift  up  thy  head  from  off  thee,1  and  shall 
hang  thee  °on  a  tree ;  and  the  birds  4  shall  eat  thy  flesh 

20.  *5  from  off  thee.5f     And  it  came  to  pass  the  third  day, 
which  was  Pharaoh's  birthday,  that  he  made  a  feast 
unto  all  his  servants:   and  he  lifted  up  the  head  of  the 
chief  butler  and  the  head  of  the  chief  baker  among  his 

21.  servants.     And  he  restored6  the  chief  butler  unto  his 
butlership  again;   and  he  gave  the  cup  into  Pharaoh's 

22.  hand:   but  °he  hanged  the  chief  baker:  as  Joseph  had 

23.  interpreted  to  them.     Yet  did  not  the  chief  butler  re- 
member Joseph,  but  forgat  him. 

E  41.       And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  end  of  °two  full  years,  that 

1  SV  baked  food.  *  Gr.  King  Pharaoh.  3  Syr.  of  thy  dream.  *  Gr.  adds,  of 
heaven.  *  Heb.  mss.  Vg.  om.  6  Syr.  established. 

a  (or  the)  baker,  all  kinds  of  bakestuff  for  Pharaoh.  Erman  cites  a 
menu  for  the  king  of  Egypt,  during  a  journey  through  the  country, 
on  which  there  were  ten  sorts  of  bread  and  cake.  The  birds  did  eat 
them.  This,  also,  is  a  scene  from  real  life.  The  birds,  being  protected, 
must  often  have  done  serious  damage. 

19.  The  words  with  which  Joseph  begins  his  interpretation  of  the 
baker's  dream  are  the  same  that  were  used  in  v.  13,  but  he  gives  them 
a  sinister  turn  which  might  be  indicated  by  punctuating  as  follows: 
within  three  days  shall  Pharaoh  lift  up  thy  head  —  from  off  thee. 
The  last  words  are  superfluous  at  the  end  of  the  verse.  On  a  tree ;  on 
a  gibbet,  exposed  to  the  vultures. 

22.  He  hanged  the  chief  baker.  Better,  the  chief  baker  he  hanged, 
the  object  here  being  emphatic. 

(c)  At  the  court  of  Pharaoh,  41:1-57.  The  chapter  relates  how 
Joseph  finally  obtained  his  release  and  the  highest  honors  from  the 
king  of  Egypt. 

(a)  Pharaoh's  dreams,  41  :  1-36.  At  length  Pharaoh  himself 
has  dreams,  and,  failing  to  get  an  interpretation  from  his  wise  men, 
at  the  suggestion  of  his  butler  sends  for  Joseph.  The  young  Hebrew 

298 


GENESIS  41:6 


2.  Pharaoh  dreamed:  and,  behold,  he  stood  by  °the  river. 
And,  behold,  there  came  up  out  of  the  river  °seven  kine, 
well  favoured  and    fatfleshed;  and   °they  fed  in  the 

3.  reed-grass.     And,  behold,   seven  other  kine  came  up 
after  them  out  of  the  river,  °ill  favoured  and  leanfleshed ; 
and  stood  i  2  by  °the  other  kine 2  °upon  the  brink  of  the 

4.  river.     And  the  3  ill  favoured  and  leanfleshed  kine  did 
eat   up   the   seven   well  favoured   and  fat   kine.4     So 

5.  Pharaoh  awoke.     And  °he  5  slept  and5  dreamed  a  sec- 
ond time :  and,  behold,  °seven  ears  of  corn  6  came  up 

6.  upon  one  stalk,  °rank  and  good.     And,  behold,  seven 
ears,  thin  and  blasted  with  °the  east  wind,  sprung  up 


1  Gr.  Vg.  grazed.  *  Heb.  Gr.  Syr.  Tar.  by  the  cows;  Vg.  in  green  places. 
3  Gr.  adds,  seven.  *  Gr.  mss.  add,  and  they  did  not  show  that  they  had  entered 
into  their  bellies.  s  Gr.  om.  6  SV  grain. 

explains  to  the  king  that  the  things  he  has  seen  foreshadow,  first  great 
abundance,  and  then  a  severe  famine,  and  advises  him  to  make  the 
necessary  provisions  for  the  maintenance  of  his  people.  The  para- 
graph is  mainly  from  the  Ephraimite  source,  with  some  fragments 
from  the  Judean  narrative. 

1.  Two  full  years.     Better,   two  years'   time.     See   29  :  14.     The 
river  could  only  mean  the  Nile  to  an  Egyptian,  as  it  meant  the  Eu- 
phrates to  a  Babylonian.     See  31  :  21. 

2.  Seven  kine.    The  cow  was  sacred  to  Isis,  the  goddess  of  the 
nourishing  earth.     They  fed  in  the  reed-grass ;   in  the  marshes,  where 
the  Egyptians  pastured  their  cattle. 

3.  Ill  favoured  and  leanfleshed.     In  the  correct  Hebrew  text  there 
is  a  case  of  alliteration  which  might  be  reproduced  by  translating 
ugly  and  meagre.     So  also  v.  4.     In  the  last  clause,  for  the  other  kine, 
read  the  kine  already  upon  the  brink  of  the  river     There  is  no  equiva- 
lent for  other  in  the  original. 

5.  He  slept ;  fell  asleep  again  the  same  night.     Seven  ears  of  corn. 
Here,  of  course,  as  in  27  :  28,  corn  is  grain,  and  the  ears  are  what  an 
American,    to   avoid   further   ambiguity,    would   call  heads.     Rank. 
Better,  full,  the  original  word  being  the  same  that  is  rendered  fat 
of  the  cattle. 

6.  In  the  original  there  is  an  alliteration  between  the  adjectives 
which  might  be  reproduced  by  translating  them  thin  and  withered. 
The  east  wind;   strictly  the    southeast  wind,  which  blows  from  the 

299 


GENESIS 

7.  after  them.    And  the  1 2  thin  ears 2  swallowed  up  the 
seven  rank  and  full  ears.    And  Pharaoh  awoke,  and, 

8.  behold,  it  was  a  dream.    And  it  came  to  pass  in  the 
morning  that  his  spirit  was   troubled;    and,  he  sent 
and  called  for  all  °the  magicians  3  of  Egypt,  and  all 
°the  wise  men  thereof:    and  Pharaoh  told  them  °his 
dream 4*  ;   but   there  was   none   that  could   interpret 

9.  them5  unto  Pharaoh.     Then  spake  the  chief   butler 
j  unto    Pharaoh,    saying,     |     I    6  do     remember '     °my 
E   10.   faults  this  day :  |   Pharaoh  was  wroth  with  his  servants, 

and  °put  me  7*  in  ward  in  the  house  of  the  captain  of 

11.  the  guard,  me  and  the  chief  baker:    and  we  dreamed 
08  a  dream  8  in  one  night,  I  and  he ;  we  dreamed  each 
man  according  to  9  the  interpretation  of  9  his  dream. 

12.  And  there  was  with  us  there  a  young  man,  an  Hebrew, 
°servant  to  the  captain  of  the  guard ;   and  we  told  him, 
and  he  interpreted  to  us  10  our  dreams ;  to  each  man  ac- 

1  Gr.  adds,  seven.     a  Gr.  ears  thin  and  blasted  with  the  wind.     •»  m.  sacred  scribes. 

*  Sam.  Syr.  plu.      s  Gr.  it.      6  m.  will  make  mention  of.       1  Sam.  them;   Gr.  us. 

*  Syr.  dreams.      »  Gr.  om.       10  Gr.  mss.  om. 

middle  of  February  to  the  middle  of  June,  often  like  a  hurricane, 
filling  the  air  and  covering  the  vegetation  with  fine  dust. 

8.  The  magicians  and  the  wise  men  are  the  so-called  "  writers  of 
sacred  things  "  and  "  knowers  of  things,"  two  classes  of  the  priest- 
hood who  were  the  confidential  advisers  of  the  king,  and  always  within 
call.    The  most  famous  were  those  of  On.     A  folk's  tale  as  old  as  the 
time  of  Joseph  relates  how  a  magician  of  the  reign  of  Kufu  displayed 
his  ability  to  read  the  future.     For  his  dream  read,  with  the  Samaritans 
and  the  Syriac  Version,  his  dreams. 

9.  My  faults  ;  those  for  which  he  was  imprisoned.     See  40  :  2. 

10.  For  put  me  read,  with  the  Samaritans,  put  them,  or,  with  the 
Greek  Version,  put  us. 

11.  For  a  dream,  which  is  ambiguous,  the  Syriac  Version  has  the 
more  intelligible,  but  not  necessarily  original,  reading,  dreams. 

12.  In  this  verse  the  compiler,  by  an  oversight,  has  left  the  Ephra- 
imite  author's  description  of   Joseph   as  servant  to  the  captain  of 
the  guard  undisturbed.     See  39  :  21. 

300 


GENESIS 


41  :  19 


13.  cording  to  his  dream  he  did  interpret.10    And  it  came  to 
pass,  as  he  interpreted  to  us,  so  it  was ;    01  me  he  *  re- 

14.  stored  unto  mine  office,  and  2  him  he 2  hanged.    Then 
Pharaoh  sent  and  called  Joseph,  |  and  they  brought   j 
him  hastily  out  of  the  dungeon :  |  and  °3  he  shaved   E 
himself,3  and  °changed  his  raiment,  and  came  in  unto 

15.  Pharaoh.     And   Pharaoh    said   unto    Joseph,    I    have 
dreamed  4  a  dream,4  and  there  is  none  that  can  inter- 
pret it 5 :  and  I  have  heard  say  of  thee,  that  when  thou 

1 6.  hearest  8  a  dream  6  thou  canst  interpret  it.7    And  Jo- 
seph answered  Pharaoh,  saying,  °8  It  is  not  in  me :  God 

17.  shall  give  Pharaoh  8  an  answer  of  peace.    And  Pha- 
raoh spake  unto  Joseph,  In  my  dream,  behold,  I  stood 

18.  upon  °the  brink  of  the  river:   and,  behold,  there  came 
up  out  of  the  river  seven  kine,  9fatfleshed  and  well 

19.  favoured9;    and  they  fed  in  the  reed-grass:    and,  be- 
hold, seven  other  kine  came  up  after  them,10  °poor  and 

1  m.  /  was.  '  m.  he  was.  •»  Gr.  Vg.  they  shaved  him.  *  Vg.  dreams.  *  Vg. 
them.  6  Gr.  dreams.  •>  Gr.  them.  8  SV  It  is  not  in  me:  God  will,  etc.;  Gr.  With- 
out God  there  shall  not  be  given  to  Pharaoh;  Vg.  Without  me  God  will  give  to  Pha- 
raoh; Syr.  Think  not  that  any  but  God  can  give  to  Pharaoh.  »  Gr.  reverses  the 
terms.  10  Gr.  adds,  from  the  river. 


13.  Me  he  restored.    The  speaker  seems  to  give  Joseph  credit  for 
ability  to  secure  the  fulfilment  of  his  own  predictions.     See  40  :"i6. 
Perhaps,  however,  the  pronoun  of  the  third  person  here  refers  to 
Pharaoh.     See  v.  10. 

14.  He   shaved   himself.    The  Greek  and  Latin   Versions   have, 
they  shaved  him,  as  if  to  indicate  that  the  hair  of  his  head  as  well 
as  his  face  was  removed ;    but  it  is  doubtful  if  any  but  the  priests 
shaved  their  heads  at  this  time.     Changed  his  raiment.     Absolute 
cleanliness  was    one    of    the    first    requirements    at    the   Egyptian 
court. 

16.  Joseph  parries  the  king's  compliment  with  all  the  ease  of  a 
trained  courtier :  It  is  not  in  me ;    in  modern  parlance,  Not  at  all. 

17.  The  brink  of  the  river.     See  v.  i  and  note  the  way  in  which 
Pharaoh  here  and  elsewhere  expands  the  previous  recital. 

19.   Here  he  adds  a  third  adjective,  poor,  better,  weak,  and  a  reflec- 
301 


41  :  20  GENESIS 


very l  °ill  favoured  and  leanfleshed,  such  as  I  never  saw 

20.  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt    for  °badness :   and  the  2  lean 
and   ill   favoured  kine  did  eat  up  the  first  seven  fat3 

21.  kine:  and  when  they  had  eaten  them  up,  it  could  not  be 
known  that  they  had  eaten  them;    but  they  were  still 

22.  ill  favoured,  as  at  the  beginning.     So  I  awoke.4    And  5 
°I  saw  in  my  dream,  and,  behold,  seven  6  ears  came  up 

23.  upon  one  stalk,  full  and  good:  and,  behold,  seven  ears, 
°withered,7*    thin,  and 8    blasted  with  the  east  wind, 

24.  sprung  up  after  them :  and  the  2  thin 9  ears  swallowed 
up  the  seven  good 10  ears :  and  °I  told  it  unto  the  magi- 
cians;  but  there  was  none  that  could  declare  it  to  me. 

25.  And  Joseph  said  unto  Pharaoh,  The  dream  of  Pha- 
raoh is  one:  what  God  is  about  to  do  he  hath  declared 

26.  unto  Pharaoh.     The  seven  good  kine  are  seven  years; 
and  the  seven  good  ears  are  seven  years :  the  dream  n 

27.  is  one.    And  the  seven  lean  and  ill  favoured  kine  that 
came  up  after  them  are  seven  years,  and  also  the  seven 
012  empty  ears  12  blasted  with  the  east  wind ;  they  shall 

28.  be  seven  years  °*  of  famine.t     °That  is  the  thing  which 

1  Gr.  om.  »  Gr.  adds,  seven.  3  Gr.  fair  and  choice.  *  Gr.  adds,  and  slept. 
s  Gr.  Syr.  add,  again.  6  Gr.  adds,  other.  i  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  om.  8  So  Heb. 
ms"..  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  »  Gr.  ears,  thin  and  blasted  with  the  wind.  I0  Gr. 
adds,  and  full.  "  Gr.  adds,  of  Pharaoh.  "  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  ears  thin 
and. 

tion  upon  their  badness  or  ugliness.      The  contrast  between  the  two 
groups  of  cattle  is  symbolical. 

21.  The  latter  half  of  this  verse,  too,  is  new. 

22.  For  I  saw  the  original  reading  seems  to  have  been,  as  in  the 
Syriac,  I  saw  again,  or,  as  in  the  Greek,  I  slept  and  saw  again. 

23.  The  adjective  withered,  which  is  omitted  by  the  Versions,  is 
probably  a  gloss  to  one  of  the  others. 

24.  I  told  it.    The  dream,  though  double  in  form,  is  one  in  signifi- 
cance.    See  v.  25. 

27.  For  empty  ears  read  with  the  Samaritans  and  the  Versions 
ears  thin  and.  The  phrase  of  famine  anticipates  the  announcement 
of  v.  30,  and  should  be  omitted. 

302 


GENESIS  41  :  33 


I  spake  unto  Pharaoh :  what  God  is  about  to  do  he  hath 

29.  shewed    unto    Pharaoh.    Behold,    there    come    seven 
years  of  great  plenty  throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt: 

30.  and  there  shall  arise  after  them  °seven  years  of  famine; 
and  all  the  plenty  shall  be  forgotten  in  the  land  of  Egypt; 

31.  and  the  famine  shall  "consume  *  the  land1;  |  and  the  J 
plenty  shall  not  be  known  in  the  land  by  reason  of  that 
famine  which  followeth ;  for  it  shall  be  very  grievous.  | 

32.  And  for  that  the  dream  was  doubled  unto  Pharaoh   E 
twice,2  it  is  because  the  thing  is  established  by  God,  and 

33.  God  will  shortly  bring  it  to  pass.     Now  therefore  3  let 
Pharaoh  3  look  out  °a  man  discreet  and  wise,  and  set 

1  Tar.  the  People  of  Ike  land.      3  SV  om.      3  Gr.  om. 


28.  That  is  the  thing  which  I  spake ;  better,  have  spoken;  an 
emphatic  way  of  introducing  the  repetition  of  an  important  point, 
like  7  tell  you.  See  42  :  14.  The  purpose  of  God  in  thus  showing 
men  what  he  is  about  to  do  appears  in  the  advice  with  which  Joseph 
supplements  his  interpretation. 

30.  Seven  years  of  famine.    The  cause  of  the  famine  is  not  men- 
tioned, the  one  great  source  of  such  calamities  being  the  failure  of 
the  Nile  to  rise  high  enough  thoroughly  to  flood  the  country  during 
the  annual  inundation.     In  this  case  there  is  to  be  a  low  Nile  for 
seven  successive  years  and  a  consequent  dearth  that  shall  consume 
the  land,  completely  exhaust  its  reserve  products. 

31.  This  verse  seems  to  be  the  Judean  author's  way  of  putting  the 
same  thought  that  was  expressed  in  v.  30. 

32.  The  first  clause  is  unhappily  rendered.     Read,  rather,  And 
with  respect  to  the  repetition  of  the  dream. 

33.  In  times  of  famine  the  bitterness  of  the  suffering  was  often 
relieved  by  wise  and  generous  rulers.    Thus,   in  a  tomb  at  Beni 
Hasan  a  certain  monarch  has  left  this  record  concerning  his  own 
administration :    "  When  years  of  famine  came,  I   ploughed  all  the 
fields  of  the  Oryx  nome  as  far  as  its  southern  and  northern  boundary, 
preserving  its  people  alive  and  furnishing  its  food,  so  that  there  was 
none  hungry."     Joseph  here  urges  the  exercise  of  similar  wisdom 
and  generosity  on  a  more  comprehensive  plan.    This  plan,  accord- 
ing to  the  received  text,  is  to  select  a  man  discreet  and  wise,  and  set 
him  as  a  commissioner  over  the  land  of  Egypt. 

303 


4i  :  34  GENESIS 


j   34.   him  °over  the  land  of  Egypt.  |  1  Let  Pharaoh  do  °this,1 

and  let  him  appoint  overseers  over  the  land,2  and  °take  3 

up  the  fifth  part  of  the  land  of  Egypt  in  the  seven  plen- 

35.  teous  years.     And  let  them  gather  °all  the  food 4  of 

E          these 5  good  years  that  come,  |  °and  lay  up  corn  under 

J  the  hand  of  Pharaoh  for  food  |  in  the  cities,  and  6  let 

E  36.   them  keep  it.  |  And  the  food  shall  be  for  °a  store  to 

the  land  against  the  seven  years  of  famine,  which  shall 

be  in  the  land  of  Egypt;  that  7  the  land7  perish  not 

through  the  famine. 

E  37.       And  the  thing  was  good  in  the  eyes  of  Pharaoh,  and 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  And  let;  Vg.  om.  a  Syr.  adds,  of  Egypt.  3  Gr.  let  them  take. 
*  Syr.  grain,  a  Sam.  Gr.  add,  seven.  6  Sam.  Syr.  om.  ^  Tar.  the  people  of  the  land. 

34.  Thus    far    the    Ephraimite    author.    The    Judean    puts    the 
matter  somewhat  differently.     His  first  words,  as  rendered  in  the 
English  Version,  are  ambiguous,  if  not  misleading.     He  does  not 
mean  that  the  king  shall  do  something  just  proposed,  and  after 
having  done  that,  do  something  else,  but  that  he  shall  now  initiate 
a  certain  policy.     The  word  this,  therefore,  for  which  there  is  no 
equivalent  in  the  original,  should  be  omitted,  and  the  actual  text  be 
rendered,  Let  Pharaoh  take  action  and  appoint,  or  take  steps  to  appoint, 
overseers.    Thus,  it  appears  that  while,  according  to  the  Ephraimite 
narrative,  the  plan  proposed  almost  involved  his  own  appointment, 
according  to  the  other  it  apparently  excluded  him.    The  overseers, 
being  appointed  by  the  king  and  stationed  in  the  cities,  would  take 
up,  collect,  the  fifth  part,  not  of  the  land,  but  of  the  produce  of  the 
land,  under  the  royal  supervision. 

35.  This  verse  is  composite,  parallel  passages  from  the  two  sources 
being  united  in  a  more  complex  proposition.     All  the  food  of  these 
good  years  is  naturally  the  fifth  collected  by  the  overseers  and  any 
surplus  that  the  people  had  for  sale.     In  the  clause  and  lay  up,  etc., 
which  is  supposed  to  be  the  continuation  of  v.  33,  the  subject  must 
originally  have  been  the  commissioner. 

36.  A  store  to  the  land.    The  granary  was  either  a  number  of 
small   conical  buildings  in  rows,  surrounded  by  a  wall,  or  a  large 
covered  bin,  with  holes  in  the  roof,  on  one  side  of  such  an  enclosure. 

(6)  Joseph  the  king's  minister,  41  :  37-57.  The  king  adopts 
Joseph's  advice,  appoints  him  his  minister,  loads  him  with  honors, 
gives  him  a  lady  of  the  highest  rank  for  a  wife,  and  commissions 

3°4 


GENESIS 


41  142 


38.  in  the  eyes  of  all  *  his  servants.     And  Pharaoh  said  unto 
his 2  servants,  Can  we  find  such  a  one  as  this,  a  man  in 

39.  whom  °the  spirit  of  God  is?    And  Pharaoh  said  unto 
Joseph,  Forasmuch  as  God  hath  shewed  thee  all  this, 

40.  there  is  none  3  so  discreet  and  wise  as 3  thou :  °thou  shalt 
be  over  my  house,  and  according  unto  thy  word  shall 
all  my  people  4  be  ruled 4 :  only  in  the  throne  will  I  be 

41.  greater  than  thou.  |  And  Pharaoh  said  unto  Joseph,   J 

42.  See,  I  have  set  thee5  over  all  the  land  of  Egypt.  |  And  E 
Pharaoh  took  off  °his  signet  ring  from  his  hand,  and  put 

it  upon  Joseph's  hand,  and  arrayed  him  in  vestures  of 
06  fine  linen,6  and  put  °a  gold  chain  about  his  neck; 

1  Syr.  om.  »  Gr.  all  his.  *  Gr.  Vg.  more  .  .  .  than.  *  m.  order  themselves  or 
do  homage;  Heb.  kiss;  Gr.  Vg.  obey;  Syr.  be  judged;  Tar.  be  fed.  *  Gr.  adds, 
to-day.  6  m.  cotton. 

him  to  make  provision  for  the  famine  as  proposed.  Joseph  spends 
the  next  seven  years  in  collecting  grain,  being  meanwhile  blessed 
with  two  sons,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  opens  his  granaries  to 
supply  the  wants,  not  only  of  the  Egyptians,  but  of  the  surrounding 
peoples.  The  paragraph  is  taken  in  about  equal  proportions  from 
the  Judean  and  Ephraimite  sources,  with  one  brief  extract  from  the 
Priestly  source. 

38.  The  spirit  of  God.  The  Egyptians  were  polytheists,  but  they 
sometimes  used  language  which  might  imply  that  they  recognized  a 
Supreme  Being  of  whom  their  various  gods  were  but  so  many  mani- 
festations. Curiously  enough,  in  the  tale  of  "  The  Two  Brothers  " 
it  is  said  that  "  the  spirit  of  God  was  in  him."  Compare  the  language 
put  into  the  mouth  of  Nebuchadrezzar  in  Dan.  4  :  8,  18. 

40.  Thou  shalt  be  over  my  house.     Joseph  thus  became  grand 
vizier,  and  as  such  exercised  a  variety  of  functions.     "  He  was  grand 
steward  of  all  Egypt,  and  there  was  no  prime  function  of  state  which 
did  not  operate  immediately  or  secondarily  through  his  office ;  while 
all  others  were  obliged  to  report  to  it,  or  work  more  or  less  closely  in 
connection  with  it."     See  Breasted,  History  of  Egypt,  244. 

41.  The  Judean  parallel  to  v.  40. 

42.  His  signet  ring  gave  Joseph  authority  as  his  vicegerent  wher- 
ever he  went.     Fine  linen ;   the  royal  linen,  some  specimens  of  which 
are  so  fine  that  they  can  hardly  be  distinguished  from  silk,  and  that 
the  limbs  of  a  wearer  could  be  discerned  through  the  fabric.     A  gold 

X  305 


4i  :  43  GENESIS 


43.  and  he  made  him  to  ride  in  °the  second  chariot  which 
he  had ;  and  they 1  °cried  before  him,  °2  Bow  the  knee 2 :  | 

J  44.  and  he  set  him  over  all  the  land  of  Egypt.  And  Pha- 
raoh 3  said  unto  Joseph,  I  am  Pharaoh,  and  4  without 
thee  shall  °no  man  lift  up  his  hand5  or  his  foot 5  in  all  the 

E  45-  land  of  Egypt.  |  And  Pharaoh  called  Joseph's  name 
6  Zaphenath-paneah  8;  and  he  gave  him  to  wife  Asenath 
the  daughter  of  °Poti-phera  °priest  of  On.  7  And  Jo- 

1  Sam.  Syr.  one;  Gr.  Vg.  a  herald.  *  Gr.  om.;  Syr.  Father  and  Ruler;  Tar. 
This  is  the  father  of  the  king.  3  Vg.  the  king  (of  Egypt).  *  Syr.  adds,  /  hare  de- 
creed that.  s  Gr.  om.  6  Vg.  in  the  Egyptian  language  Saviour  of  the  world; 
Syr.  adds,  the  one  to  whom  secrets  are  revealed;  Tar.  the  man  to  whom  secrets  are  re- 
vealed, i  Gr.  om.;  Syr.  And  .  .  .  over  all  .  .  .  Egypt. 

chain.  Both  men  and  women  wore  ornaments  about  the  neck  in 
Egypt.  The  most  common  were  embroidered  collars,  but  gold 
necklets  were  among  the  presents  bestowed  by  the  king  upon  his 
faithful  servants.  See  Dan.  5  :  8. 

43.  The  second   chariot.     See  v.   40.    The  Egyptians  borrowed 
both  the  chariot  and  its  name  from  the  Hyksos.     When  Joseph  ap- 
peared in  public,  not  the  people,  but,  as  the  Greek  and  Latin  Versions 
expressly  say,  a  herald,  cried  before  him.    There  have  been  many 
attempts  to  explain  the  word  'abhrek,  which  is  put  into  the  herald's 
mouth,  but  none  of  them  is  satisfactory.    Meanwhile  Bow  the  knee, 
if  it  does  not  reproduce  the  original,  makes  the  proper  impression, 
reverence  for  the  royal  favorite.    The  last  clause  seems  to  have 
come  from  the  Judean  narrative  and  to  be  a  continuation  of  v.  42. 

44.  On  no  man,  etc.,  compare  v.  40. 

45.  The  new  name  bestowed  upon  Joseph,  properly  pronounced 
Sapnetephonh  (Eg.  De-pnute-ef-onh),  being  interpreted,  means  The 
god  speaks  and  he  lives*.    This  name,  also,  is  said  to  be  a  compara- 
tively late  formation,   not  found  before  the  end  of  the  Twentieth 
Dynasty  (c.   1060  B.C.),  rather  common  under  the  Twenty-second 
(910-775),   and  very   frequent  under  the  Twenty-sixth   (663-525). 
On  the  name  Poti-phera,  86637  :  3^-     In  this  case  it  ls  appropriately 
given,  the  one  who  bears  it  being  the  priest,  i.e.,  the  high  priest,  of 
On,  the  place,  about  five  miles  northeast  of  the  modern  city  of  Cairo, 
which  was  the  chief  shrine  of  Re,  the  sun-god,  and  on  that  account 
later  called  by  the  Greeks  Heliopolis.    The  rank  of  the  high  priest 
was  such  as  to  give  Joseph  a  commanding  position  and  influence  among 
the  nobles  of  the  country.    The  last  clause,  which  is  wanting  in  the 
Greek  Version,  may  be  connected  with  v.  49. 

306 


GENESIS  4 

46.  seph  went  out  over  the  land  of  Egypt.7  |  And  Joseph  was  p 
°thirty  years  old  when  he  stood  before  Pharaoh  king 

of   Egypt.  |  And  Joseph  went  out  from  the  presence  J 
of  Pharaoh,  and  went  throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt. 

47.  And  in  the  seven  plenteous  years  °the  earth  l  2  brought 

48.  forth  by  handfuls.2    And  he  gathered  up  all  the  food 
of  °the  seven  years  3  which  were  3  in  the  land  of  Egypt, 
and  laid  up  the  food  in  the  cities :  the  food  of  °the  field, 
which  was  round  about  every  city,  laid  he  up  in  the 

49.  same.  |  And  Joseph  laid  up  corn  as  the  sand  of  the  E 
sea,  very  much,  until  he  left  numbering;    for  it  was 

50.  without  number.     And  unto  Joseph  were  born  two  sons 
before  °4  the  year  *  of  4  famine  came,  |  which  Asenath  R 
the  daughter  of  Poti-phera   priest   of    On   bare   unto 

51.  him.  |  And  Joseph  called  the  name  of  the  firstborn  E 
°Manasseh:    For,  said  he,  God  °hath  made  me  forget 

1  Tar.  inhabitants  of  the  land.  *  Syr.  Tar.  collected  (Tar.  grain)  into  granaries. 
3  Sam.  Gr.  when  there  was  plenty;  Syr.  of  plenty  which  were.  *  Gr.  the  seven  years 
of;  Vg.  om. 

46.  In  37  :  2  the  Priestly  writer  reported  Joseph  seventeen  years 
of  age.     If,  therefore,  he  was  now  thirty  years  old,  he  must  already 
have  been  thirteen  years  in  Egypt.     His  father,  meanwhile,  accord- 
ing to  the  same  authority,  must  have  reached  the  age  of  at  least 
eighty -three.     See  26  :  34  ;    30  :  25.     Compare  47  :  9. 

47.  The  earth.     Better,  the  land. 

48.  For  the  seven  years  which  were,  read,  with  v.  53  and  the 
Syriac  Version,  the  seven  years  of  plenty  which  were.     Compare  the 
reading  of  the  Samaritans  and  the  Greek  Version.     The  field ;  the 
country. 

50.  The  year  must  be  a  mistake  for  the  years,  or,  as  in  the  Greek 
Version,  the  seven  years. 

51.  The  original  meaning  of  Manasseh,  Heb.  Menassheh,  is  un- 
known.    Here   it   is  connected   with   nashah,  forget,   and   the  form 
meaning  he  hath  made  me  forget,  nisshani,  is  modified  to  nasshani 
to  increase  the  resemblance  between  the  two  words.     My  toil ;    the 
preceding  years  of  servitude.     My  father's  house ;    rather  the  con- 
stant longing  for  home  induced  by  unhappy  conditions. 


GENESIS 


52.  all1  °my  toil,  and  all2  °my  father's  house.  And  the 
name  of  the  second  called  he  °Ephraim :  For  God  hath 

j   53.  made  me  fruitful  in  the  land  of  my  *  affliction.  |  And  the 

seven 3  years  of  plenty,  °that  was 4  in  the  land  of  Egypt, 

54.  came  to  an  end.     And  the  seven  years  of  famine  began 

E  to  come,  according  as  Joseph  had  said:  |  and  there 
was  famine  °in  all  lands  5 ;  but  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt 

j  55.  °there  was  bread.6  |  And  when  all  the  land  of  Egypt 
was  °famished,  °the  7  people  cried  to  Pharaoh  for  bread : 
and  Pharaoh  said  unto  all  the  Egyptians,  Go  unto  Jo- 

E  56.  seph ;  °what 8  he  saith  to  you,  do.  |  And  the  famine  was 
over  °*  9  all  the  face  of  9f  the  earth :  and  Joseph  opened 
°alls  10the  storehouses,10  and  sold  unto11  the  Egyp- 

R          tians ;  |  12  and  the  famine  was  sore  in  the  land  of  Egypt.12 1 

1  Sam.  om.  *  Vg.  om.  3  Syr.  om.  •*  Heb.  mss.  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Svr.  Tar.  were. 
s  Gr.  the  earth.  6  Gr.  mss.  Syr.  no  bread.  *  Gr.  mss.  all  the.  8  Sam.  Gr.  Vg. 
Syr.  and  what.  »  Heb.  mss.  Sam.  m.  Syr.  the  face  of  all.  10  So  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.;  Heb. 
in  which  there:  Sam.  in  which  there  was  grain;  Tar.  the  storehouses  in  which  there 
•was  grain.  «  Gr.  adds,  all.  "  Gr.  om. 

52.  The  name  Ephraim  is  dual  in  form.     If  therefore  it  is  derived 
from  parah,  be  fruitful,  it  must  mean  twofold  fruitful-ness.     It  is  by 
no  means  certain,  however,  that  this  is  the  actual  derivation.     See 
Enc.  Bib.,  art.  Ephraim. 

53.  For  that  was,  read,  with  the  Samaritans  and  the  Versions,  as 
in  v.  48,  that,  or  which,  were. 

54.  Thus  far  nothing  has  been  said  of  the  extent  of  the  famine : 
here  it  is  described  as  reigning  in  all  lands.     There  was  bread.    The 
Syriac  and  some   manuscripts  of  the  Greek  Version  read,  there  was 
no  bread,  but  the  negative  is  evidently  a  correction.     A  better  ex- 
planation of  the  apparent  contradiction  between  this  clause  and  the 
next  is  to  refer  them  to  different  authors. 

55.  The  term  famished  is  rather  strong  for  this  connection.     Began 
to  suffer  hunger  is  more  nearly  the  writer's  meaning.     The  people 
cried  to  Pharaoh ;  knowing  that  he  had  made  provision  for  just  such 
an  emergency.    For  what  read,  with  the  Samaritans  and  the  Versions, 
and  what. 

56.  For  all  the  face  of  the  earth  read  the  face  of  all  the  earth.     See 
the  variants.    The  phrase  rendered  all  the  storehouses  is  defective 
in  the  original,  the  literal  reading  being  all  which  in  them,  i.e.,  all 

308 


GENESIS 


42  :  2 


57.   And  °all  the  countries1  came  into  Egypt  to  Joseph  for   E 
to  buy  corn2;   because  the  famine  was  sore  in  all  the 
earth.3 

42.       Now  °Jacob  saw  that  there  was  corn  in  Egypt,  |  and  J,  E 

Jacob  4  said  unto  his  sons,  °5  Why  do  ye  look  one  upon 
2.   another?5  |  "And  he  said,6  Behold,  I  have  heard  that   J 

'So  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.;  Heb.  the  earth.      »Heb.  om.      a  Syr.  land  of  Egypt.      «  Gr. 
Vg.  he.      s  Gr.  Vg.  Why  are  ye  idle  ?  Syr.  Do  not  fear.      6  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  om. 


in  which  there.  The  Samaritans  supply  grain,  but  the  original  read- 
ing was  probably  the  one  the  English  translators,  following  the 
Christian  versions,  have  adopted,  or  the  fuller  one,  all  the  storehouses 
in  -which  there  was  grain,  found  in  the  Targum.  The  distribution  of 
grain  was  not  unknown  in  Egypt.  In  a  tomb  at  el-Kab  there  is  an 
inscription  in  which  the  deceased  claims  that,  when  a  famine  arose, 
lasting  many  years,  he  distributed  grain  to  the  people  of  his  city 
each  year  throughout  its  duration. 

57.  All  the  countries.  Here,  again,  the  translators  follow  the 
Versions  as  against  the  original,  which  has  all  the  earth. 

(4)    The  discovery  of  Joseph,  42  :  1-45  :  28 

This  is  the  general  theme  of  the  next  four  chapters,  but  the  inci- 
dents of  which  they  are  composed  are  distributed  to  two  visits  to 
Egypt. 

(a)  The  brethren  of  Joseph  in  Egypt,  42 : 1-38.  Jacob,  hearing 
that  there  is  grain  in  Egypt,  sends  ten  of  Joseph's  brethren  thither 
to  buy  for  his  family.  Joseph  recognizes  them  at  once,  but,  pre- 
tending not  to  know  them,  arrests  and  imprisons  them  as  spies. 
He  finally  releases  all  but  Simeon,  whom  he  proposes  to  detain  until 
the  rest  have  proven  their  honesty  by  producing  their  youngest 
brother,  Benjamin.  On  the  way  home  one  of  them  finds  his  money 
in  his  sack,  and  when  they  reach  their  father  and  report  the  results 
of  their  journey,  they  discover  with  consternation  that  their  money 
has  all  been  returned  to  them.  Finally  Jacob  refuses  to  allow  Benja- 
min to  return  with  them.  The  chapter  is  mainly  from  the  Ephraim- 
ite  narrative,  but  there  are  some  brief  extracts  from  the  Judean. 

i.  The  Judean  author  should  use  the  name  Israel  for  Jacob,  but 
there  are  passages  in  which  the  latter  has  been  substituted  for  the 
former,  and  this  seems  to  be  one  of  them.  Why  do  ye  look  one  upon 
another?  wasting  time  in  indecision.  The  tone  is  characteristic  of 
the  Ephraimite  version  of  this  story.  See  vs.  7,  9,  etc, 

3°9 


42  :  3  GENESIS 


there  is  corn  in  Egypt :  get  you  down  thither,  and  buy 

for  us  *  2  from  thence 2;  that  we  may  live,  and  not  die.  | 

E     3.   And  ° Joseph's  ten  brethren  went  down  to  buy  corn 

j     4.   from  Egypt.  |  But  Benjamin,  Joseph's  brother,  Jacob 3 

sent  not  with  his  brethren ;  for  he  said,  Lest  peradven- 

ture  evil  befall  him.     And  the  sons  of  Israel  came  to 

5.  buy4  among  those  that  came:    for  the  famine  was  in 

6.  the  land  of  Canaan.     And  Joseph  was  the  governor 
over  the  land ;   °he 5  it  was  that  sold  6  to  all  the  people 
of  the  land:   and  Joseph's  brethren  came,  and  bowed 
down  themselves  to  him  with  °their  faces  to  the  earth. 

7.  And  Joseph  saw  his  brethren,  and  he  knew  them,  but 
E  °made  himself  strange  unto  them  |  and  spake  roughly 
J           with  them;  |  and  he  said  unto  them,   °Whence  come 

ye?    And  they  said,  From  the  land  of  Canaan  to  buy 

E     8.  food.  |  And  Joseph  knew  his  brethren,  but  they  knew 

9.   not  him.     And  Joseph  remembered  the  dreams  which 

he  dreamed  2  of  them,2  and  said  unto  them,  Ye  are 

spies;    to  see  the  nakedness  of  the  land  ye  are  come. 

10.   And  they  said  7  unto  him,7  Nay,  my  lord,  but  to  buy 

J   ii.  food  are  thy  servants  come.  |  We  are  all  one  man's 


1  Gr.  adds,  a  little  food.  '  Gr.  om.  3  Gr.  he.  *  Tar.  adds,  grain.  s  Sam. 
Vg.  Syr.  and  he.  6  Vg.  Tar.  add,  grain.  1  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  om. 

3.  Joseph's  ten  brethren.  Better,  ten  of  Joseph's  brethren.  So 
many  were  required  to  manage  the  animals  and  protect  them  and 
their  freight  from  robbers.  The  distance  from  Gaza  to  the  border 
of  Egypt  is  about  a  hundred  and  sixty  miles.  Thothmes  III.  marched 
it  in  nine  days.  The  journey  from  Beer-sheba  would  be  about  two, 
or  from  Hebron  about  three,  days  longer. 

6.  He  sold;  presided  at  the  sale.     Their  faces  to  the  earth;    in 
fulfilment  of  Joseph's  dream.     See  37  :  5  ff. 

7.  Made  himself  strange  ;  acted  the  part  of  a  stranger.     See  i  Sam. 
21  :  13.     There  is  nothing  unfriendly  in  his  attitude  as  here  de- 
scribed, or  in' the  question,  Whence  come  ye? 

8.  The  verse  is  the  Ephraimite  parallel  to  ya. 

310 


GENESIS  42  :  18 

12.  sons;  |  we  are  true  men,  thy  servants  are  no  spies.     And   E 
he  1  said  unto  them,  Nay,  but 2  to  see  the  nakedness  of 

13.  the  land  ye  are  come.     And  they  said,  °We  thy  ser- 
vants are  twelve  brethren,  °**  the  sons  of  one  man  3f 
in  the  land  of    Canaan;    and,  behold,  the   youngest  is 

14.  4  this  day 4  with  our  father,  and  one  is  not.    And  Joseph 
said  unto  them,  °That  is  it  that  I  spake  unto  you,  saying, 

15.  Ye  are  spies:  hereby  ye  shall  be  proved :   °by  the  life  of 
Pharaoh  °ye  shall  not  go  forth  hence,  except  your  young- 

16.  est  brother  come  hither.     °Send  one  of  you,  and  let  him 
fetch  your  brother,  and  ye  shall  be  bound,  that  your 
words  may  be  proved,  whether  there  be  truth  in  you: 

17.  or  else  by  the  life  of  Pharaoh  surely  ye  are  spies.5    And 

18.  °he  put  them  all  together  into  ward  three  days.     And 
Joseph  said  unto  them  the  third  day,  This  do,  and  live; 


*  Syr.  Joseph.  •  Syr.  the  report  is  that.  *  Gr.  om.  *  Vg.  om.  *  Sam.  adds, 
And  they  said,  The  lad  is  not  able  to  leave  his  father;  for  if  he  should  his  father,  he 
would  die. 


13.  We  thy  servants,  etc.    More  exactly,  Thy  servants  were  twelve  ; 
brethren  were  we  in  the  land  of  Canaan.     The  phrase  the  sons  of  one 
man  seems  to  have  been  borrowed  from  v.  n. 

14.  On  That  is  it,  etc.,  see  41  :  28. 

15.  By  the  life  of  Pharaoh.     He  swears  by  the  king,  like  an  Egyp- 
tian, and  thus  only  the  more  completely  conceals  his  identity.     Ye 
shall  not  go  forth ;   a  messenger  excepted.     See  v.  16. 

1 6.  Send  one  of  you.    This  first  proposal  was  calculated  to  produce 
the  deepest  anxiety,  especially  the  requirement  that  Benjamin  be 
brought  to  Egypt.     It  appears  from  44  :  22  that  the  brothers  did 
not  receive  it  without  a  protest.    The  Samaritans  felt  the  need  of  one 
so  strongly  that  they  inserted  at  this  point,  And  they  said,  The  lad  is 
notable  to  leave  his  father  ;  for  if  he  should  leave  his  father,  he  would 
die.    These  words,  however,  are  not  original  in  this  connection. 

17.  He  put  them  into  ward.     Observe  how  the  Ephraimite  author 
dwells  on  Joseph's  severity  and  his  brothers'  distress. 

18.  I  fear  God;    lit.  God  I  fear,  without  for.       He  modifies  his 
proposal,  not  for  their  sake,  but  because  a  higher  power  has  con« 
strained  him  so  to  do.     See  31  :  24. 

311 


42  :  ip  GENESIS 


19.  for1  °I  fear  God:   if  ye  be  true  men,  °let  one  of  your 
brethren  be  bound  in  your  2  prison  house  2;  but  go  ye, 

20.  carry  corn  for  the  famine  of  your  houses:    and  bring 
your  °youngest  brother  unto  me ;  so  shall  your  words  be 
verified,  and  3ye  shall  not3  die.    And  °tney  did  so. 

21.  And  they  said  one  to  another,  We  are  verily  guilty  con- 
cerning our  brother,  in  that  we  saw  the  distress  of  his 
soul,  when  he  besought  us,  and  we  would  not  hear; 

22.  therefore  is  this 4  distress  come  upon  us.     And  Reuben 
answered 5  them,  saying,  °Spake 6  I  not  unto  you,  say- 
ing, Do  not  sin  against  the  child;    and  ye  would  not 
hear?     therefore  also,  behold,  °his  blood  is  required. 

23.  And  they  knew  not  that  Joseph  understood  them;   for 

24.  there  was  an  interpreter  between  them.       And  he  7 
turned  himself  about  from  them,  and  wept;    and  he 
returned  to  them,  and  spake  to  them,  and  °took  Simeon 
from  among  them,  and  bound  him  before  their  eyes. 

25.  Then   Joseph  commanded  to  fill   °their  vessels  with 
corn,  and  °to  restore  every  man's  money  into  °his  sack, 

1  So  Gr.  Vg.;  Heb.  om.      »  Gr.  om.      3  Gr.  if  not,  ye  shall.        *  Sam.  Gr.  mss. 
all  this.       *  Gr.  Syr.  add,  and  said  to.       6So  Sam.;  Heb.  Said.        1  Gr.  Joseph. 

19.  Let  one  of  your  brethren  be  bound  is  so  much  less  cruel  than 
Joseph's   first   proposal   that   it   creates  an   impression  of   magna- 
nimity. 

20.  He  still  insists,  however,  on  seeing  the  youngest  brother.     They 
did  so  ;  agreed  to  these  terms,  and  set  about  their  fulfilment. 

21.  Therefore  is  this  distress  come  upon  us.    The  ancient  Hebrews 
saw  in  all  their  sufferings  the  wrath  of  a  just  God  and  the  penalties  for 
their  sins. 

22.  Spake  I  not  unto  you ?     86637:22.    The  words  his  blood  is 
required  indicate  a  belief  that  Joseph  has  perished.     See  37  :  30. 

24.  He  took  Simeon  because,  next  to  Reuben,  who  was  exempt,  he 
was  the  oldest  of  the  brothers. 

25.  Their  vessels ;    their  sacks.    The  command  to  restore  every 
man's  money,  in  the  present  form  of  the  story,  can  only  be  interpreted 
as  an  expression  of  Joseph's  generosity.     His  sack  ;   or,  since  each  of 

3" 


GENESIS  42  :  32 

and  to  give  them  provision  for  the  way :  and  thus  01  was 

26.  it  done  l  unto  them.     And  they  laded  their  asses  with 

27.  their  corn,   and   departed   thence.  |  And   as   one  2  of   J 
them 2  opened  his  sack  to  give  his  ass 3  provender  in 
°the  lodging  place,  he  espied  his  money 4 ;  and,  behold, 

28.  it  was  in  the  mouth  of  his  sack.     And  he  said  unto  his 
brethren,  °My  money  is  restored;   and,  lo,  it  is  even  in 
my  sack:    and  °their  heart  failed    them,  |  °and   they   E 
turned  trembling  one  to  another,  saying,  What  is  this 

29.  that  °God  hath  done  unto  us?    And  they  came  unto 
Jacob  their  father  unto  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  told 

30.  him  all  that  had  befallen  them;   saying,  The  man,  the 
lord  of  the  land,  spake  roughly  with  us,  and  5  took  us 

31.  for5  spies  of   the   country.     And  we   said   unto   him, 

32.  We  are  true  men;   we  are  no  spies:    °we  be6  twelve 

1  So  Gr.;  Vg.  Syr.  they  did;  Heb.  one  did.     _  '  So  Syr.;  Hcb.  om.         3  Gr.  plu. 
*  Gr.  bundle  of  money.      s  Gr.  put  us  into  prison  as.      6  SV  are. 

the  men  must  have  had  several,  one  of  his  sacks.  Was  it  done  unto 
them ;  by  the  person  or  persons  to  whom  Joseph  gave  these  instruc- 
tions. 

27.  This  verse  and  a  part  of  the  one  following  are  supposed  to  be 
an  extract  from  the  Judean  narrative.     According  to  the  other  version 
of  the  story  the  men  did  not  find  their  money  until  they  reached  home. 
See  v.  35.     The  lodging  place;   the  khan  or  caravansary,  where  the 
traveller  found  shelter  and  protection,  but  usually  fed  both  himself 
and  his  animals. 

28.  My   money  is   restored.    This   announcement,    according   to 
43  :  21,  was  followed  by  a  search  which  resulted  in  the  discovery 
that  "every  man's  money  was  in  the  mouth  of  his  sack."     Their 
heart  failed  them ;    because  they  feared  just  such  a  trick  as  Joseph 
used  to  trap  them.    The  latter  part  of  this  verse,  from  and  they 
turned  onward,  is  assigned  to  the  Ephraimite  author,  but  removed 
to  a  place  after  v.  35.     It  is  possible,  however,  since  God  is  the  only 
name  for  the  Deity  in  the  story  of  Joseph,  after  chapter  39,  that  in 
this  case  it  has  not  its  usual  significance  ;  in  other  words,  that  vs.  27  f. 
entire  are  from  the  Judean  source. 

31.  Note  that  the  first  clause  of  v.  n  is  not  repeated. 

32.  We  be  twelve  brethren.    The  use  of  be  here  and  are  in  the 

3*3 


42  :  33  GENESIS 


brethren,  sons  of  our  father;  one  is  not,  and  the  young- 
est is  this  day  with  our  father  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 

33.  And  the  man,  the  lord  of  the  land,  said  unto  us,  Hereby 
shall  I  know  that  ye  are  true  men;    leave  one  of  your 
brethren  1  with  me,  and  take  2  corn  for 2  the  famine  of 

34.  your  houses,  and  go  your  way ;  and  bring  your  youngest 
brother  unto  me:    then  shall  I  know  that  ye  are  no 
spies,  but  that  ye  are  true  men:    °so  will  I  deliver  you 

35.  your  brother,  and  ye  shall  traffick  in  the  land.     And  it 
came  to  pass  as  they  emptied  their  sacks,  that,  behold, 
°every  man's  bundle  of  money  was  in3  his  sack:   and 
when  they  and  their  father  saw  their  bundles  of  money, 

36.  °they  were  afraid.     And  °Jacob  their  father  said  unto 
them,  Me  have  ye  bereaved  of  my  children:    Joseph 
is  not,  and  Simeon  is  not,  and  ye  will  take  Benjamin 

37.  away:    °all  these  things  are4  against5  me.     And  Reu- 
ben spake  unto  his  father,  saying,  Slay  °my  two  sons, 

'Gr.  adds,  here.       •  So  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.;   Heb.  om.       3  Syr.  in  the  mouth  of. 
*  Syr.  combine.      s  m.  upon. 

preceding  verse  is  one  of  the  more  striking  inconsistencies  of  the  Eng- 
lish Version.     Compare  SV. 

33.  The  word  for  corn  (grain),  which  was  used  in  v.  19,  has  dis- 
appeared from  the  Hebrew  text,  but  the  Versions  have  preserved  it. 

34.  So  will  I  deliver,  etc.    Compare  v.  20. 

35.  Every  man's  bundle  of  money.    The  author  apparently  knows 
nothing  about  the  discovery  of  money  in  one  of  the  sacks  at  the  khan, 
as  related  in  vs.  27  f.     They  were  afraid.     If  280  is  from  the  Ephraim- 
ite  source,  it  must  originally  have  followed  this  statement.     See,  how- 
ever, v.  28. 

36.  Jacob  said  unto  them ;  in  reply  to  the  terms  reported  in  v.  34. 
All  these  things  are  against  me  hardly  does  justice  to  the  original. 
Here,  as  in  his  first  sentence,  Jacob  emphasizes  his  own  sufferings. 
On  me,  he  says,  are  they  all,  viz.,  the  losses  one  after  another. 

37.  It  is  the  complaint  that  he  alone  is  required  to  suffer  to  which 
Reuben  now  responds.     The  words  rendered  my  two  sons  may  also  be 
translated  two  of  my  sons,  and  the  latter  is  the  interpretation  that  the 
compiler  must  have  given  to  them,  since,  according  to  46  :  9,  Reuben 


GENESIS 


43  -2 


if  I  bring  him  not  to  thee:  deliver  him  into  my  hand, 
38.  and  I  will  bring  him  to  thee  again.  |  And  he  said,  °My 
son  shall  not  go  down  with  you ;  for  his  brother  is  dead, 
and  he  only  is  left 1 :  if  mischief 2  befall  him  by  the  way 
in  the 3  which  ye  go,  then  shall 4  ye  bring  down  my  gray 
hairs  with  sorrow  to  5  the  grave.5 

43.       °And  the  famine  was  sore  in  the  land.     And  it  came 
2.   to  pass,  °when  they  had  eaten  up  the  corn  which  they 

1  Syr.  adds,  to  his  mother.      '  SV  harm.      3  SV  om.      •*  SV  will.       s  SV  Sheol. 

at  this  time  had  four  sons.  He  proposes  to  give  two  of  his  own  chil- 
dren as  hostages  for  his  father's  favorite. 

38.  This  noble  plea  ought  to  have  been  effectual,  but,  according  to 
the  received  text,  Jacob  stubbornly  replies,  My  son  shall  not  go  down 
with  you.  Moreover,  he  utterly  ignores  Simeon.  The  natural  in- 
ference from  these  facts  is  that  this  verse  is  not  the  continuation  of  v. 
37*  On  the  other  hand,  43  :  14,  which  is  out  of  place  in  its  present 
setting,  precisely  fits  this  connection.  It  says  that  Jacob  finally  yielded, 
praying  that  God  would  move  the  unknown  "  man  "  in  Egypt  to 
restore  the  other  brother  as  well  as  Benjamin.  It  appears,  therefore, 
that,  according  to  the  Ephraimite  version  of  this  story,  when  the 
brothers  reached  home,  they  gave  their  father  a  complete  account  of 
their  journey,  and  Reuben  finally  succeeded  in  persuading  him  to  let 
them  return  at  once  to  get  more  grain  and  procure  the  release  of 
Simeon.  The  Judean  version,  however,  which  had  no  reference  to 
the  detention  of  Simeon,  here  says  that  at  this  time  Jacob  refused  to 
risk  his  son  for  the  sake  of  a  second  supply  of  grain.  See  further  44  :  24. 

(b)  The  return  with  Benjamin,  43  : 1-45  : 28.  The  account  of  the 
second  visit  of  Joseph's  brethren  to  Egypt,  being  much  longer  than 
that  of  the  first  and  much  richer  in  incident,  can  most  conveniently 
be  discussed  under  a  series  of  suitable  topics. 

(a)  Jacob's  misgivings,  43  :  1-14.  The  first  supply  of  grain  being 
consumed,  Jacob  exhorts  his  sons  to  go  for  a  second.  They  remind 
him  of  the  condition  on  which  it  can  be  obtained.  He  accuses  them 
of  managing  the  matter  clumsily,  but  they  defend  themselves.  Finally, 
when  Judah  offers  to  be  responsible  personally  for  Benjamin,  he  yields 
and  sends  them  back  with  the  boy  and  a  present  for  the  Egyptian 
governor.  The  entire  paragraph,  with  the  exception  of  the  last  verse, 
which  has  already  been  discussed,  is  from  the  Judean  narrative. 

1.  For  And  read  Now,  introducing  a  new  paragraph. 

2.  When  they  had  eaten  up  the  corn.    The  delay  at  first  sight  seems 
heartless,  but  when  one  remembers  that  this  passage  is  from  the 


43  :  3  GENESIS 

had  brought  out  of  Egypt,  1  their  father  *  said  unto 

3.  them,  °Go2  again,  buy  us  a  little  food.     And  °Judah 
spake  unto  him,  saying,  The  man  did  solemnly  protest 
unto  us,  saying,  Ye  shall  not  see  my  face,  except 3  your 

4.  brother  be  3  with  you.     °If  thou  wilt  send  dur  brother 

5.  with  us,  we  will  go  down  and  buy  thee 4  food :  but  if  thou 
wilt  not  send  him,5  °we  will  not  go  down:  for  the  man 
said  unto  us,  Ye  shall  not  see  my  face,  except  your 

6.  brother  8  be  with  you.     And  Israel 7  said,  °Wherefore 
dealt  ye  so  ill  with  me,  as  to  tell  the  man  whether  ye  had 

7.  yet  a  brother?     And  they  said,  °The  man  asked  straitly 
concerning    ourselves,   and    concerning    our    kindred, 
saying,   °Is  your  father  yet  alive?     °have  ye  another 

1  Syr.  Jacob  their  father.  *  Syr.  Go  down.  3  Gr.  your  youngest  brotJter  be;  Vg. 
ye  bring  your  youngest  brother.  *  Syr.  us.  s  Gr.  our  brother  with  us;  Heb.  om. 
*  Gr.  youngest  brother.  '  Syr.  adds,  their  father. 

Judean  narrative,  and  that  the  author  of  that  work  did  not  leave 
Simeon  in  Egypt,  it  becomes  simply  natural.  Jacob  postpones  the 
matter  as  long  as  possible,  hoping  that  something  will  happen  to  make 
a  second  journey  to  Egypt,  and  the  surrender  of  his  beloved  Benjamin, 
unnecessary.  When  he  is  finally  obliged  by  the  prospect  of  starvation 
to  turn  his  thoughts  in  that  direction,  he  ignores  the  condition  on 
which  alone  the  journey  would  be  successful.  Go  again,  he  says,  but 
there  is  not  a  word  about  sending  Benjamin. 

3.  Here,  again,  as  in  37  :  26  f.,  Judah  takes  the  place  occupied 
by  Reuben  in  the  Ephraimite  narrative.     See  41  :  22.     He  reminds 
his  father  of  what,  according  to  44  :  24,  he  already  knows,  but  has 
thus  far  refused  to  consider. 

4.  If  thou  wilt  send  our  brother ;  which  he  has  already  refused  to 
do.     See  42  :  38. 

5.  We  will  not  go  down ;  because  it  will  be  useless. 

6. '  Wherefore  dealt  ye  so  ill  with  me?  This  complaint  would  have 
had  a  certain  justification  in  the  other  version  of  the  story,  since, 
according  to  42  :  13,  32,  the  brothers  volunteered  the  information 
given.  Here  it  is  an  outburst  of  childish  desperation. 

7.  The  man  asked  straitly ;  expressly,  particularly.  Is  your  father 
alive?  The  question  implies  that  Jacob  was  an  old  man.  By  com- 
bining 41  :  45  and  45  :  n  with  preceding  data  from  the  Priestly  source 
one  can  make  him  ninety-two.  The  second  question,  Have  ye  a 


GENESIS  43 


brother?  and  °we  told  him  according  to  the  tenor  of 
1  these  words  l :    °could  we  in  any  wise  know  that  he 

8.  would  say,   Bring  your  brother  down?     And   Judah 
said   unto    Israel  his  father,  °Send  the  lad  with  me,2 
and  we  will  arise  and  go;    °that  we  may  live,  and  not 

9.  die,  both  we,  and  thou,  and  also  our  little  ones.    I  will  b3 
surety  for  him ;  of  my  hand  shalt  thou  require  him :   if 
I  bring  him  not  unto  thee,  and  set  him  before  thee,  then 

10.  °let  me  bear  the  blame3  forever:    for  °except  we  had 
lingered,  surely  we  had  now  returned  a  second  time. 

1 1 .  And  their  father  Israel  said  unto  them,  °If  it  be  so  now, 
do  this;   take  of  °the  choice  fruits  of  the  land  in  your 

1  Gr.  his  inquiry.      3  Syr.  us.      s  Heb.  adds,  toward  thee;   Syr.  adds,  toward  my 
father. 

brother?  is  most  natural  on  the  supposition,  which  has  already  been 
discussed,  that  Joseph  was  carried  to  Egypt  before  the  birth  of  Ben- 
jamin. See  37  :  12  ff.  We  told  him  according  to  the  tenor  of  these 
words;  gave  him  the  information  which  his  questions  required. 
Could  we  in  any  wise  know?  An  equally  good  rendering  would  be, 
How  should  we  know  ?  The  young  men  are  becoming  impatient  with 
their  father's  obstinacy. 

8.  Send  the  lad  with  me.    Compare  42  :  37,  where  Reuben  makes  a 
similar  proposal.    The  term  lad  is  embarrassing ;  for  if,  as  one  would 
infer   from  the  position  of   35  :  16  ff.,    Benjamin  was  born  before 
Judah  was  married,  he  should  now  be  a  grown  man.    The  only  way 
out  of  the  difficulty  seems  to  be  by  the  supposition,  for  which  there  are 
other  reasons,  that  chapter  38  does  not  now  occupy  the  position  with 
relation  to  the  rest  of  the  Judean  narrative  that  was  given  it  by  its 
author.    Of  course,  the  representation  of  Benjamin  as  a  lad  is  entirely 
inconsistent  with  46  :  21,  where  Benjamin  is  the  father  of  ten  sons. 
That  we  may  live.     Here,  again,  is  proof  that  the  Judean  author  did 
not  leave  Simeon  in  Egypt.     If  he  had,  he  would  have  made  his  re- 
lease one  of  the  objects  of  this  second  journey. 

9.  Let  me  bear  the  blame  forever.    More  exactly,  let  me  be  blame- 
worthy with  thee  forever.     Judah  stakes,  not  the  lives  of  his  children, 
but  his  own  honor. 

10.  Judah's  concluding  argument,   except  we  had  lingered,  etc., 
indicates  that  the  discussion  thus  briefly  reported  lasted  some  days. 

11.  If  it  be  so  now,  or//,  then,  it  be  so;  if  I  must  yield.     The  choice 

317 


43  :  12  GENESIS 

vessels,  and  carry  down  the  man  *  a  present,1  2  a  little 2 
°balm,  and  2  a  little 2  honey,  °spicery  and  °myrrh,  °nuts, 

12.  and  almonds:  *  and  take  double  money  in  your  hand  | : 
and  the  money  that  was  returned  in  2  the  tmouth  of 2 
your  sacks  carry  again  3  in  your  hand  3 ;  perad venture  it 

13.  was  an  oversight:  take  also  your  brother,  and  arise,  go 
E   14.   again  unto  the  man:  |  and  4  God  Almighty4  give  you 

mercy  before  the  man,  that  he  may  release  unto  you 
your  other 5  brother  6  and  Benjamin.  And  I  if  I  be 
bereaved  of  my  children,  °I  am  bereaved. 

1  Gr.  Vg.  presents.  *  Gr.  om.  3  Gr.  with  you.  *  Gr.  my  God;  Vg.  my  God 
Almighty.  *  Sam.  Gr.  one;  Vg.  om.  6  Vg.  adds,  -whom  he  holds  (in  prison). 

fruits  is  a  fanciful  rendering  for  which  produce  would  be  a  good  sub- 
stitute. Three  of  the  articles  named,  balm,  spicery,  and  myrrh,  are 
the  same  that,  according  to  37  :  25,  the  Ishmaelites  were  carrying 
to  Egypt  when  they  passed  through  the  plain  of  Dothan  and  bought 
Joseph  of  his  brothers.  The  other  three  are  commoner  products  of 
Palestine.  The  mention  of  honey  recalls  the  fact  that  the  country  is 
repeatedly  called  "  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey."  See  Ex. 
3:8;  13  :  5  ;  etc.  It  is  still  produced  in  great  quantities.  It  must 
have  been  a  rarity  in  Egypt,  where  wild  flowers  were  seldom  found. 
The  nuts  are  pistachios,  now  rare  in  Palestine,  but  once  common 
throughout  the  country.  They  were  a  rarity  in  Egypt.  The  almond 
is  not  often  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament,  but  it  must  always  have 
been  abundant ;  otherwise  it  would  not  have  been  used  as  familiarly 
as  it  was  for  symbolical  purposes.  See  Ex.  25  :  33  ;  Jer.  i  :  1 1  ff. ; 
Ecc.  12:5.  The  nut,  green  or  ripe,  is  still  highly  esteemed  and  largely 
consumed  in  Palestine. 

12.  The  first  clause  seems  to  have  been  borrowed  from  v.  15. 
There  is  no  reason  for  mentioning  the  money  to  pay  for  the  second 
supply  of  grain  in  this  connection. 

14.  On  this  verse  see  42  :  37.  It  was  removed  from  that  connec- 
tion, when  the  Judean  and  Ephraimite  narratives  were  united,  that  it 
might  not  interrupt  the  continuity  of  the  composite  story.  I  am  be- 
reaved ;  there  is  no  help  for  it. 

(6)  The  reception  by  Joseph,  43  :  15-34.  When  the  sons  of  Jacob 
reach  Egypt  Joseph  sends  them  to  his  house,  instructing  his  steward 
to  make  preparations  for  entertaining  them.  They  suspect  a  plot  and 
attempt  to  explain  the  matter  of  the  money ;  but  the  steward  waives 


GENESIS 


43 


15.  And  the  men  took  01  that  present,1  and  they  took  j 
°double  money  in  their  hand,  and  Benjamin 2 ;    and 
rose  up,  and  went  down  to  Egypt,  and  stood  before  Jo- 

16.  seph.    And  when  ° Joseph  saw  3  Benjamin  with  them,3 
he  said  to  the  steward  of   his  house,  Bring  the  men 
into  the  house,  and  °slay,  and  make  ready ;  for  the  men 

17.  shall  dine  with  me  at  noon.     And  the  man  did  as  Joseph 
bade;    and  4  the  man4  brought  the  men  into  Joseph's 

1 8.  house.     And   °5  the   men  were  afraid,   because 5  they 
were  brought  into 6  Joseph's  house ;    and  they  said, 
Because  of  °the  money  that 7  was  returned  7  in  our  sacks 
at  the  first  time  are  we  brought  in;   °that  he  may  seek 
occasion  against  us,  and  fall  upon  us,  and  8  take  us 

19.  for  bondsmen,  °and  our  asses.     And  they  came  near 

1  Gr.  these  presents;  Vg.  the  presents.  »  Syr.  they  took  Benjamin  with  them. 
3  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  them  and  Benjamin;  Gr.  adds,  his  brother.  *  Gr  Syr.  he.  s  Gr. 
i  he  men  saw  that;  Syr.  they  saw  that.  6  SV  to.  'So  Sam.  Gr.;  Heb.  Syr.  re- 
turned. 8  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  to. 

them  aside  and  proceeds  with  his  duties,  leaving  them  to  prepare 
their  present  for  Joseph.  On  his  arrival  he  receives  and  welcomes 
them,  inquiring  for  their  father  and  showing  special  attention  to  Ben- 
jamin. When  the  meal  is  served,  he  surprises  them  by  seating  them 
in  the  order  of  their  ages,  but  they  finally  forget  their  fears  and  make 
the  most  of  his  hospitality.  The  whole  paragraph,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  single  sentence,  is  from  the  Judean  narrative. 

15.  That  present.    The  original  has  this  present,  referring,  of  course, 
to  the  articles  named  in  v.  n.     Double  money;  the  amount  returned 
to  them  and  a  like  sum  to  pay  for  a  second  supply  of  grain. 

1 6.  Joseph  saw  Benjamin  with  them ;  saw  with  them  a  boy  who, 
he  knew,  must  be  Benjamin.     Slay,  and  make  ready.    The  Egyptians 
ate  the  flesh  of  the  domestic  animals  and  all  sorts  of  game.    The 
favorite  national  dish  was  roast  goose. 

1 8.  For  the  men  were  afraid,  because  the  Greek  Version  has  the 
men  saw  that,  and,  since  both  make  good  sense  and  both  can  be  written 
in  Hebrew  with  the  same  letters,  it  is  impossible  to  say  which  is  the 
original  reading.  The  money  that  was  returned ;  lit.  the  money  that 
returned,  in  some  mysterious  way.  That  he  may  seek  occasion  against 
us ;  lit.  roll  himself  upon,  surprise,  us.  'The  addition,  and  our  asses, 
makes  a  humorous  anti-climax,  and  perhaps  was  so  intended, 

319 


43  :  20  GENESIS 


to  the  steward  of  Joseph's  house,  and  they  spake  unto 

20.  him  at  the  door  of  the  house,  and  said,  Oh  my  lord,  we 

21.  came  indeed  down  at  the  first  time  to  buy  food:  and  it 
came  to  pass,  when  we  came  to  the  lodging  place,  that 
°we  opened  our  sacks,  and,  behold,  every  man's  money 
was  in  *  the  mouth  of  *  his  sack,  our  money  °in  full 

22.  weight:    and  we  brought  it  again  in  our  hand.     And 
other  money  have  we  brought  down  2  in  our  hand 2  to 
buy  food:    we  know  not  who  put  our  money  in3  our 

23.  sacks.     And  he  said,  Peace  be  to  you,  fear  not:    °your 
God,   and  the   God  of  your  father,4  hath  given  you 

E          treasure  5  in  your  sacks :  °I  had  your  money.  |  °And 

j   24.   he  brought  Simeon  out  unto  them.  |  *  And  the  man 

brought  the  men  into  Joseph's  house,1  and  gave  them 

water,  and  they  washed  their  feet ;  and  he  gave  their  asses 

25.   provender.     And  °they  made  ready  the  present 5- against 

1  Gr.  om.     *  Gr.  with  us.     3  Syr.  adds,  the  mouth  of.     *  Sam.  Gr.  plu.      s  Gr. 
Vg.  plu. 

21.  We  opened  our  sacks.     In  42  :  25  f.  only  one  of  the  men  is 
reported  to  have  found  his  money ;    but  that  passage  has  evidently 
been  abbreviated,  if  not  recast.     If  one  found  his  money  returned,  the 
others  would  naturally  look  to  see  if  they  were  as  fortunate.     In  full 
weight.     It  was  probably,  like  Egyptian  money,  in  the  shape  of  rings. 

22.  Note  that  in  their  defence  there  is  no  hint  of  a  charge  of  being 
spies.    That  is  a  feature  peculiar  to  the  Ephraimite  narrative. 

23.  I  had  your  money  ;   lit.  your  money  came  to  me.    The  steward 
could  not  tell  them  the  whole  truth  without  betraying  his  master's 
plans.     Your  God  hath  given  you  treasure ;   lit.  hidden  treasure.     It 
was,  and  is,  the  practice  in  the  East  to  hide  valuables  in  the  ground 
instead  of  depositing  them  in  vaults  or  intrusting   them  to  others. 
The  discovery  of  one  of  these  hoards  was  regarded  as  the  height  of 
good  fortune.     See  Jb.  3  :  21;   Mt.    13  :  44.     The   steward   suggests 
that  the  God  of  their  father  has  put  in  the  way  of  Joseph's  brethren 
such  an  unexpected  acquisition.    The  last  clause  And  he  brought 
Simeon  out  unto  them,  which  is  clearly  foreign  to  the  context,  is  a 
fragment  from  the  Ephraimite  narrative.     See  42  :  24,  36. 

25.   They  made  ready  the  present ;  apparently  in  an  adjoining  build- 
ing. 

320 


GENESIS 


43  :  32 


1  Joseph  came1   at   noon :    for  they  heard  that  they 2 

26.  should  eat  bread  there.     And  when  Joseph  came  home, 
they  brought  him  the  present 3  which  was  3  in  their  hand 
°into  the  house,  and  bowed  down  themselves  to  him  4  to 

27.  the  earth.     And  he  asked  them  of  their  welfare,  and  said, 
Is  your  father  well,  the  old  man  of  whom  ye  spake  ?     Is 

28.  he  yet  alive?     And  they  said,  Thy  servant  our  father  is 
well,  he  is  yet  alive.5    And  they  bowed  the  head  and 

29.  made  obeisance.     And  he  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  saw 
Benjamin  his  brother,  °his  mother's  son,  and  said,  Is 
this  your  youngest  brother,  6  of  whom  ye  spake  unto 
me6?     And  he  said,  °God  be  gracious  unto  thee,  °my 

30.  son.     And  Joseph  7  made  haste  7 ;  for  his  8  bowels  did 
yearn  upon 8  his  brother :  and  he  sought  where  to  weep ; 

31.  and  he  entered  into  his  chamber,  and  wept  there.     And 
he  washed  his  face,  and  came  out;    and  °he  refrained 

32.  himself,   and  said,   Set  on  bread.     And  they  set  on 
°for  him  by  himself,  and  for  them  by  themselves,  and 


1  SV  Joseph's  coming.  *  Gr.  he.  3  Gr.  Vg.  plu.  *  Gr.  Vg.  add,  with  their 
faces.  *  Sam.  Gr.  add,  And  he  said,  Blessed  be  that  man  with  God.  6  Gr.  whom 
ye  spake  to  me  of  bringing.  1  Gr.  was  disturbed.  &  SV  heart  yearned  over. 


26.  When  Joseph  returned  they  brought  it  into  the  house. 

27.  The  first  question  should  be  preparatory  to  the  second.    Render, 
therefore,  Is  it  well  with  your  father  ? 

28.  Here,  also,  the  rendering  could  be  improved  by  substituting, 
It  is  well  with,  etc.    The  Samaritans,  followed  by  the  Greek  Version, 
insert  after  this  clause  another  speech  by  Joseph  (see  the  variants), 
but  it  does  not  commend   itself  as  a  genuine  feature  of  the  story. 
The  informal  cordiality  of  Joseph  is  a  striking  contrast  to  the  cere- 
monious politeness  of  his  brothers. 

29.  His  mother's  son ;  a  son  of  the  same  mother,  Rachel.     God  be 
gracious  unto  thee.     Joseph  could  not  have  used  the  name  Yahweh 
without  betraying  himself.     My  son  indicates  that  Benjamin,  if  not 
a  boy,  was  a  very  young  man. 

31.  He  refrained  himself ;  controlled  his  emotions. 

32.  For  him  by  himself.     Joseph's  rank  separated  him,  from  the 

Y  321 


43  :  33  GENESIS 

for  the  Egyptians,  which  1  did  eat  with  him,  by  them- 
selves :  because  the  Egyptians  might  not  eat  bread  with 
the  Hebrews;  for  that2  is  °an  abomination  unto  the 

33.  Egyptians.     And   °they  sat  before  him,  the  firstborn 
according  to  his  birthright,  and  the  youngest  according 
to  his  youth :  and  °the  men  marvelled  one  with  another. 

34.  And  °3  he  took  and  sent  °messes  3  unto  them  from  before 
him:    but  Benjamin's  mess  was  °five  times  so  much  as 
any  of  theirs.    And  they  drank,  and  °were  merry  with 
him. 


1  SV  who.       *  Gr.  every  shepherd.       3  m.  messes  were  taken;    Gr.  Syr.  they  bore 
portions. 


Egyptians  who  were  present  as  well  as  from  the  strangers.  An 
abomination  unto  the  Egyptians.  They  would  not  eat  from  the  same 
dishes  with  foreigners.  See  Herodotus,  Hist.  ii.  41.  The  Hebrews 
were  especially  offensive  to  them,  because  they  were  shepherds  and 
herdsmen.  See  46  :  34. 

33.  They  sat  before  him.     In  the  time  of  Joseph  the  Egyptians  often 
sat  on  rows  of  chairs  before  a  sideboard  from  which  the  food  was 
brought  to  them.     Here  the  older  custom  of  squatting  about  low  tables 
seems  to  have  been  followed.    The  men  marvelled ;  that  Joseph  should 
know  their  relative  ages. 

34.  For  he  took  a  better  rendering  would  be  oney  or  they,  bore 
without  the  words  supplied.     The  messes,  or  portions,  were  the  tid- 
bits by  which  the  oriental  host  manifests  his  favor.     That  Benjamin 
received  five  times  so  much  as  any  of  the  others  meant  that  he  was  the 
guest  of  honor.     See  i  Sam.  9  :  23  f.    The  expression  were  merry 
hardly  does  justice  to  the  original,   which  says  that  they  became 
drunken  with  him.     See  9:21.    The  favorite  drink  among  the  Egyp- 
tians was  beer ;   but  they  drank  wine,  also,  in  large  quantities,  the 
women  as  well  as  the  men. 

(c)  The  hidden  cup,  44  :  1-17.  On  the  morrow  Joseph  first 
directs  his  steward  to  fill  the  sacks  his  brothers  have  brought  with 
grain  and  hide  in  one  belonging  to  Benjamin  his  silver  cup.  Then, 
after  they  have  started,  he  sends  the  man  to  overtake  them  and  accuse 
them  of  stealing  the  cup.  The  sons  of  Jacob  protest  their  innocence, 
but  finally,  when  the  cup  is  found  in  Benjamin's  sack,  return  to  the 
city  and  declare  themselves  his  slaves.  He,  however,  with  assumed 
magnanimity  pronounces  them  all  free  to  return  to  Canaan,  except 

322 


GENESIS  44  :  7 


44.       And  he  1  commanded  the  steward  of  his  house,  say-   J 
ing,  Fill  the  men's  sacks  °with  food,  as  much  as  they  can 
carry,  *  and  put  every  man's  money  in  his  sack's  mouth,  j 

2.  And  2  put  my  cup,  the  silver  cup,2  in  the  sack's  mouth 
of  the  youngest,  °*  and  his  corn  money. f     And  he  did 

3.  according  to  the  word  that  Joseph  had  spoken.    As  soon 
as  the  morning  was  light,  the  men  were  sent  away,  they 

4.  and  their  asses.     And3  when  they  were  gone  out  of 
the  city,  and 4  were  not  yet  far  off,  Joseph  said  unto  his 
steward,  Up,  follow  after  the  men ;   and  when  thou  dost 
overtake  them,  say  unto  them,  Wherefore  have  ye  re- 

5.  warded  evil  for  good?5    Is  not  °this  it8  in  which  my 
lord  drinketh,  and  whereby  °he  indeed  divineth?    ye 

6.  have  done  evil  in  so  doing.     And  he  overtook  them, 

7.  and  he  spake  unto  them  7  these  words.7     And  they  said 
8  unto  him,8  9  Wherefore  speaketh  my  lord  9  such  words 

1  Gr.  Vg.  Joseph.  '  Syr.  lake  my  silver  cup  and  put.  3  So  Gr.  Vg.;  Heb.  om. 
*  So  Vg.  Syr.;  Heb.  om.  s  Gr.  add,  -wherefore  stole  ye  my  silver  cup?  Vg.  the 
cup  that  ye  stole.  6  SV  that.  *  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  according  to  these  words.  8  Sam. 
Vg.  om.  9  Syr.  Let  not  my  lord  speak. 

the  supposed  thief,  Benjamin.    The  entire  paragraph  is  from  the  Ju- 
dean  source. 

1.  With  food ;   grain  for  food.    The  second  command  cannot  be 
original,  since  the  restoration  of  the  money  serves  no  purpose  in  this 
part  of  the  story. 

2.  The  phrase  and  his  corn  money  must  be  omitted  for  the  same 
reason. 

4.  For  the  first  words  a  more  idiomatic  rendering  would  be,  They 
had  left  the  city,  but  had  not  gone  far,  when,  etc.    The  connection  be- 
tween this  verse  and  the  next  is  not  as  close  as  it  should  be.     It  is 
probable,  therefore,  that  the  Greek  Version  is  correct  in  adding  a  sec- 
ond question,  Wherefore  have  ye  stolen  my  silver  cup  ? 

5.  The  insertion  of  this  clause  makes  the  pronoun  this,  which  now 
wants  an  antecedent,  easily  intelligible.     He  indeed  divineth.    The 
form  of  divination  which  he  used  is  called  hydromancy.    The  process 
was  to  pour  water  into  a  cup,  or  drop  something  into  a  cup  already 
filled  with  water,  and  watch  the  resulting  movements.     It  has  been 
employed  in  modern  times  in  Egypt. 

323 


44  :  8  GENESIS 


as  these  ?    1  God  forbid  that  thy  servants *  should  do  such 

8.  a  thing.     Behold,  the  money,  which  we  found  in  our 
sacks'  mouths,2  we  brought  again  unto  thee  out  of  the 
land  of  Canaan:    °how  then  should  we  steal  out  of  thy 

9.  lord's  house  3  silver  or  gold  3  ?     With  whomsoever  of 
thy  servants  it4  be  found,  °let  him  die,5  and  we  also 

10.  will  be  °my6  lord's  bondmen.    And  he  said,  Now  also 
let  it  be  according  unto  your  words :   °he  with  whom  it 4 
is  found  shall  be  my  bondman;   and  ye  shall  be  blame- 

11.  less.     Then  °they  hasted  and  took  down  every  man  his 
sack  to  the  ground,  and  opened  every  man  his  sack. 

12.  And  °he7  searched,  °and  began  at  the  eldest,  and  left  at 
the  youngest:  and  8  the  cup  was  found  8  in  Benjamin's 

13.  sack.     Then  °they  rent  their  clothes,  and  laded  every 

14.  man  his  ass,  and  returned  to  the  city.     And  Judah  and 
his  brethren  came  to  9  Joseph's  house  9 ;  and  he  was  yet 

15.  there:   and  °they  fell  before  him  on  the  ground.     And 

1  SV  Far  be  it  from  thy  servants  that  they.  *  Gr.  om.  3  Vg.  Syr.  gold  or  silver. 
*  Gr.  the  cup.  s  Sam.  be  killed.  6  Gr.  Vg.  our.  1  Syr.  they.  8  Gr.  he  found 
the  cup.  9  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Joseph. 

8.  How  then  should  we  steal  ?    The  reasoning  is  excellent,  and  the 
conclusion  irresistible. 

9.  Let  him  die.    They  are  willing  to  stake  their  lives  on  their 
integrity.     My  lord's  bondmen.     Better,  our  lord's  bondmen.     See  the 
variants. 

10.  He  with  whom  it  is  found.     The  steward,  being  instructed  by 
Joseph,  modifies  the  terms  proposed  to  suit  his  master's  purpose. 

11.  They  hasted  and  took  down;    made  haste  to  take  down,  so 
confident  were  they  that  they  would  be  vindicated. 

12.  He  searched.     The  search  was  so  conducted  as  to  make  it 
appear  that  the  steward  did  not  know  where  the  cup  was  to  be  found. 
For  and  began,  etc.,  a  better  rendering  would  be,  beginning  with  the 
eldest  and  ending  with  the  youngest. 

13.  They  rent  their  clothes ;  but  said  nothing,  their  silence  being 
more  eloquent  than  any  words  that  they  could  have  uttered. 

14.  They  fell  before  him  on  the  ground;    still  mute  with  disap- 
pointment and  humiliation. 

324 


GENESIS  44  :  18 


Joseph  said  unto  them,  °What  deed  is  this  that  ye  have 
done?     know  ye  not  that  °such  a  man  as  I  can  in- 

16.  deed  divine?    And  Judah  said,   °What  shall  we  say 
unto  my  lord  ?   what *  shall  we  speak  ?  or  how  shall  we 
clear  ourselves?     God  hath  found  out  the  iniquity  of 
thy  servants :  behold,  we  are  my 2  lord's  bondmen,  both 
we,  and  he  also  3  in  whose  hand 3  the  cup  is  found. 

17.  And  he  4  said,  5  God  forbid5  that  I  should  do  so:   °the 
man  6  in  whose  hand  6  the  cup  is  found,  he  shall  be  my 
bondman;    but  as  for  you,  get  you  up  in  peace  unto 
your  father. 

1 8.  Then  Judah  came  near  unto  him,  and  said,  Oh  my  J 


1  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  or  what.        *  Gr.  our.      3  Gr.  Vg.  with  wliom.        *  Gr.  Vg. 
Joseph.      s  SV  Far  be  it  from  me.      6  Gr.  with  whom. 


15.  What  deed  is  this?  conveys,  not  reproach  for  the  dishonesty 
and  ingratitude  of  the  act,  but  surprise  at  its  foolishness.     Such  a 
man;   a  man  of  so  lofty  rank,  and  one  in  so  close  relations  with  the 
highest  sacerdotal  authorities,  —  it  was  ridiculous  for  them  to  attempt 
to  rob  him. 

16.  What  shall  we  say?     Judah  takes  for  granted  that  Benjamin 
stole  the  cup,  but  he  has  no  notion  of  leaving  him  to  suffer  alone  for 
his  offence. 

17.  The  above  speech  was  not  prompted  entirely  by  generosity. 
Judah  and  his  brothers  had  their  father  in  mind,  and  much  as  they 
might  dread    slavery,  they  preferred  it  to  the  reproaches  that  they 
would  have  to  endure  if  he  were  bereft  a  second  time  of  his  favorite. 
When,  therefore,  Joseph  proposes  to  hold  the  man  in  whose  hand 
the  cup  is,  better,  was,  found,  he  deprives  them  of  the  hope  of  escape 
from  the  worst  of  alternatives.    The  dramatic  interest  of  the  story  is 
thus  brought  to  a  climax. 

(d)  The  plea  of  Judah,  44  :  18-34.  Judah  addresses  Joseph,  de- 
scribing the  first  visit  to  Egypt  and  the  difficulty  of  persuading  Jacob 
to  allow  them  to  bring  Benjamin  with  them  on  the  second.  Then 
he  appeals  to  Joseph  to  accept  him  as  a  slave  instead  of  Benjamin 
and  allow  the  latter  to  return  to  his  father.  The  entire  paragraph 
is  from  the  Judean  narrative. 

18.  Thou  art  even  as  Pharaoh ;  having  been  set  by  Pharaoh  over 
all  the  land  of  Egypt.     See  41  :  41. 

325 


44  :  IQ  GENESIS 


lord,  let  thy  servant,  I  pray  thee,  speak  a  word  *  in  my 
lord's  ears,1  and  let  not  thine  anger  burn  against  thy 

19.  servant:    for  °thou  art  even  as  Pharaoh.     My  lord 
2  asked  his  2  servants,  saying,  Have  ye  a  father,  or  a 

20.  brother  ?     And  we  said  unto  my  lord,  We  have  a  father, 
an  old  man,  and  3  °a  child  of  his  old  age,  °a  little  4  one ; 
and  his  brother  is  dead,  and  °he  alone  is  left  to  his 

21.  mother,5  and  his  father  loveth  him.     And  thou  saidst 
unto  thy  servants,  Bring  him  down  unto  me,  that  I  may 

22.  6  set  mine  eyes  upon 8  him.     And  we  said  unto  my  lord, 
The  lad  cannot  leave  °his  father:  for  if  he  should  leave 

23.  his  father,  7  his  father  7  would  die.     And  thou  saidst 
unto  thy  servants,  Except  your  youngest  brother  come 

24.  down  with  you,  ye  shall  see  my  face  no  more.     And  it 
came  to  pass  when  we  came  up  unto  thy  servant  °my 8 

25.  father,  we  told  him  °the  words  of  my  lord.     And  9  our 

26.  father  said,  Go  again,  buy  us  a  little  food.     And  we 
said,10  °We  cannot  go  down :  if  our  youngest  brother  be  u 
with  us,  then  will  we  go  down :  for  we  may  not  see  the 

1  Gr.  before  thee;  Syr.  before  my  lord.  *  Gr.  Vg.  thou  didst  ask  thy.  3  Syr.  adds, 
a  son,  «  Gr.  younger.  s  Gr.  mss.  father.  6  Gr.  lake  care  of.  ^  Heb.  he. 
8  Sarri.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  our.  »  Syr.  adds,  thy  servant.  I0  Syr.  adds,  to  our  father. 
11  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  go  down. 

20.  A  child  of  his  old  age ;  a  child  born  after  the  father  had  be- 
come comparatively  old.  A  little  one ;  now  young  in  comparison 
with  the  other  sons.  See  43  :  8.  He  alone  is  left  to  his  mother 
might  be  taken  to  imply  that  Rachel  was  still  alive ;  but,  if  35  :  16  ff. 
is  rightly  attributed  to  the  Judean  author,  such  an  interpretation  is 
forbidden. 

22.  The  words  his  father  were  supplied  by  the  translators  because 
the  reading  of  the  original,  he  would  die,  is  ambiguous. 

24.  For  my  father  read,  with  the  Samaritans  and  the  Versions, 
our  father,  as  in  v.  25. 

25.  The  words  of  my  lord ;  including  the  requirement  that  Benja- 
min be  brought  to  Egypt.     See  43  :  2. 

26.  We  cannot  go  down  implies  a  previous  refusal  on  Jacob's 
part  to  allow  Benjamin  to  be  taken  to  Egypt,  as  reported  in  42  :  38. 

326 


GENESIS 


44  :  34 


man's  face,  except  our  youngest  brother  be  with  us. 

27.  And  thy  servant  my1  father  said  unto  us,  Ye  know  that 

28.  my  wife  bare  me  two  sons :  and  the  one  went  out  from 
me,  and  I2  said,  Surely  he  is  torn  in  pieces;  and  I  have 

29.  not  seen  him  since:   and  if  ye  take  this  one  also  from 
me,  and  mischief3  befall  him,4  ye  shall5  bring  down  my 

30.  gray  hairs  with  sorrow  to  8  the  grave.6    Now  therefore 
°when  1 7*  come  to  thy  servant  my 8*  father,  and  the  lad 
be  9  not  with  us  10 ;   seeing  that  °his  n  life  is  bound  up  in 

31.  the  lad's  life  n;    it  shall 5  come  to  pass,  when  he  seeth 
that  the  lad  is  not  °12  with  us,12  that  he  will  die :  and  thy 
servants  shall5  bring  down  the  gray  hairs  of  thy  ser- 

32.  vant  our  father  with  sorrow  to  6  the  grave.6     For  thy 
servant  became  surety  for  the  lad  unto  °my13  father, 
saying,  If  I  bring  him  not  unto  thee,14  then  shall  I  bear 

33.  the  blame  to  my  father  forever.     Now  therefore,  °let 
thy  servant,  I  pray  thee,  abide  instead  of  the  lad  a  bond- 
man to  my  lord ;  and  let  the  lad  go  up  with  his  brethren. 

34.  For  how  shall  I  go  up  to  my  father,  and 15  the  lad  be  not 


1  Gr.  Syr.  our.  *  Gr.  Vg.  ye.  3  SV  harm.  *  Gr.  adds,  in  the  way.  *  SV 
will.  6SV  Sheol.  1  Syr.  we.  8  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  our.  » SV  is.  '"Sam.  me. 
"  m.  soul  is  knit  with  the  lad's  soul.  "  So  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  "  Sam.  his;  Syr. 
our.  *«  Gr.  adds,  and  set  him  before  thee.  x*  SV  if. 

27.  In  this  verse  and  the  two  following  Judah  seems  to  be  enlarg- 
ing upon  42  :  38  for  the  purpose  of  stirring  Joseph's  sympathies. 

30.  For  when  I  come  to  my  father  the  better  reading  seems  to  be 
•when  -we  (Syr.)  come  to  our  (Gr.  Vg.  Syr.)  father.     His  life  is  bound 
up  in  the  lad's  life ;    lit.  his  soul  is  bound  up  in  his  soul.    The  mean- 
ing of  the  expression  is  clear  from  i  Sam.  18  :  i,  where  it  is  used  of 
the  intimate  affection  between  David  and  Jonathan. 

31.  The  phrase  with  us  has  fallen  out  of  the  Hebrew  text,  but  is 
found  in  that  of  the  Samaritans  and  in  the  Versions. 

32.  For  my  father  the  Samaritans  read,  perhaps  correctly,  his 
father. 

33.  Let  thy  servant  abide.    Compare  the  cruel    and    mercenary 
Judah  of  37  :  26. 

327 


45 


GENESIS 


with  me  ?  °lest  I  see  the  evil 1  that  shall  come  on  my 
father. 

J  45.  Then  Joseph  could  not  refrain  himself  before  all 
them  that  stood  by  him ;  and  he  cried,2  °Cause  3  every 
man  to  go  out  from  me.4  And  there  stood  no  man  with 
him,5  while  Joseph  6  made  himself  known  unto  his 

E  2.  brethren.  |  And  he  wept  aloud:  and7  the  Egyptians 
3.  heard,  °*  and  8  the  house  of  Pharaoh  heard. f  And 
Joseph  said  unto  his  brethren,  I  am  Joseph  9 ;  °doth 
my  father  yet  live?  And  his  brethren  could  not  an- 
swer 10  him ;  for  °they  were  troubled  n  at  his  presence.11 1 

1  Gr.  plu.  '  Gr.  Syr.  said;  Vg.  commanded.  3  Sam.  ms.  and  caused.  *  Sam. 
him.  *  Gr.  Joseph.  6  Gr.  he.  1  Gr.  adds,  all.  8  Vg.  adds,  all.  »  Syr.  adds,  your 
brother.  I0  Syr.  speak  a  word  to.  "  Gr.  om. 


34.  The  peculiar  construction  of  the  last  clause  in  Hebrew  makes 
it  mean,  lest  I  see,  and  suffer  in  seeing,  the  evil  that  shall  come  on 
my  father. 

(e}  The  brother  revealed,  45  :  1-15.  Joseph,  overcome  by  the 
simple  eloquence  of  Judah,  hastily  dismisses  his  attendants  and 
makes  himself  known  to  his  brothers,  assuring  them  that,  so  far 
from  cherishing  any  resentment  toward  them,  he  regards  their  treat- 
ment of  him  as  part  of  a  providential  arrangement  to  save  them  as 
well  as  the  Egyptians  from  starvation.  Finally  he  urges  them  to 
return  to  Canaan,  tell  his  father  the  story  of  his  greatness,  and  bring 
the  whole  family  to  Egypt,  that  he  may  sustain  them  during  the 
famine,  at  the  same  time  overwhelming  them,  especially  Benjamin, 
with  manifestations  of  affection.  In  this  paragraph  the  compiler 
has  drawn  in  about  equal  measure  from  both  the  Judean  and  the 
Ephraimite  sources. 

1.  For   Cause   every  man,   etc.,   another  reading,   and  one   that 
deserves  consideration,  is,  and  caused  every  man  to  go  out  from  him. 

2.  The  last  clause,  and  the  house  of  Pharaoh  heard,  seems  to  be  a 
gloss  suggested  by  v.  16,  but  to  refer    in   this  case  to  the  noise  of 
weeping. 

3.  Doth  my  father  yet  live?     According  to  the  Judean  author, 
Joseph  asked  this  question  when  his  brothers  arrived.     See  43  :  27. 
They  were  troubled ;    more  than  ever,  to  find  that  the  man  who  had 
them  in  his  power  was  one  who  had  the  best  of  reasons  for  doing 
them  an  ill  turn. 

328 


GENESIS  45  :  iO 

4.  And  Joseph  said  unto  his  brethren,  Come  near  to  me,  I  j 
pray  you.     And  they  came  near.     And  he  said,  I  am 

5.  Joseph  your  brother,  whom  ye  sold  into  Egypt.     And 
now  °be  not  grieved,  |  nor  angry  with  yourselves,  |  that  E,  J 
ye  sold  me  hither:  |  for  God  did  send  me  before  you   E 

6.  to  preserve  life.     For  °these  two  years  hath  the  famine 
been  in  the  land ;    and  there  are  yet  five  years,  in  the  1 

7.  which  there  shall  be  neither  plowing  nor  harvest.     And 
God  sent  me  before  you  to  preserve  you  a  remnant  in 

8.  the  earth,  and  to  save  you  alive  2  by  a  great  deliverance.2 
So  now  °it  was  not  you  that  sent  me  hither,  but  God : 
and  he  hath  made  me  °a  father  to  Pharaoh,  and  °lord 

9.  of  all  his  house,  and  ruler  over  all  the  land  of  Egypt.  |    j 
Haste  ye,  and  go  up  to  my  father,  and  say  unto  him, 
Thus  saith  thy  son  Joseph,  God  hath  made  me  °lord  of 

10.   all  Egypt:  °come  down  unto  me,  tarry  not:   and  thou 
shalt  dwell  in  °the  land  of  Goshen,3  and  °thou  shalt  be 

1  SV  om.      3  m.  to  be  a  great  company  that  escape.      *  Gr.  Gesem  of  Arabia. 

4.  This  verse  is  the  Judean  parallel  to  v.  3. 

5.  To  get  the  thought  of  the  Judean  version  one  must  connect  the 
exhortation,  be  not  grieved  that  ye  sold  me  hither,  with  v.  9,  from 
which  it  appears  that  Joseph  is  disposed  to  forgive  his  brothers  be- 
cause their  hatred  has  wrought  to  his  advantage.     The  Ephraimite 
author  in  the  latter  half  of  the  verse  and  the  following  context  puts 
into  his  mouth  a  more  developed  doctrine  of  providence. 

6.  These  two  years.    This,  then,  was  the  ninth  year  since  Joseph 
stood  before  Pharaoh,  and  according  to  the  Priestly  chronology  the 
thirty-ninth  of  his  life.     See  41  :  45. 

8.  In  the  clause  it  was  not  you,  the  last  word  should  be  changed 
to  ye.     A  father;   adviser,  counsellor.     On  lord  of  all  his  house  see 
41  :  40. 

9.  On  lord  of  all  Egypt  see  41  :  41.      Come  down  unto  me.     In 
v.  18  (E)  the  invitation  comes  from  Pharaoh. 

10.  The  land  of  Goshen,  Eg.  Kesm,  was  originally  the  country 
along  the  eastern  edge  of  the  Delta,  but  the  name  here  seems  to  be 
applied  to  the  whole  region  of  Wady  Tumilat  between  the  Delta 
and  Lake  Timsah,  or  possibly  to  the  eastern  portion  of  it.     In  the 

329 


45  :  ii  GENESIS 


near  unto  me,  thou,  and  thy  children,  and1  thy  children's 

children,1  and  thy  flocks,  and  thy  herds,  and  all  that  thou 

ii.   hast:  and  there  will  I  nourish  thee2;  for  there  are  yet 

five  years  of  famine;   lest  thou  come  to  poverty,  thou, 

E  12.  and  thy  household,  and  all  that  thou  hast.  |  And,  be- 
hold, your  eyes  see,  and  the  eyes  of  my  brother  Ben- 
jamin, that  3it  is  °my  mouth  that  speaketh 3  unto  you.  | 

J    13.    And  ye  shall  tell  my  father  of  all  my  glory  in  Egypt, 

and  of  all  that  ye  have  seen;    and  ye  shall  haste  and 

14.   bring  down  my  father  hither.     And  he  fell  upon  his 

brother  Benjamin's  neck,  and  wept;    and   Benjamin 

E  15.  wept  upon  his  neck.  |  And  he  kissed  all  his  brethren, 
and  wept  upon  them:  and  after  that  his  brethren 
°talked4  with  him. 


1  Syr.  the  children  of  thy  house.  *  Syr.  you.  3  Tar.  in  your  tongue  I  am  speak- 
ing. •*  Vg.  dared  talk. 

latter  case  it  is  properly  called  by  the  Priestly  writer  in  46  :  28  and 
47  :  ii  "  the  land  of  Rameses."  The  centre  of  this  latter  region  was 
Pithom  (Tell  el-Maskhuta) ,  the  Greek  name  of  which,  Heroopolis,  is 
therefore  twice  used  in  46  :  28  f.  by  the  Greek  translators  where  a 
city  seems  to  be  intended.  Here  they  employ  Gesem  of  Arabia, 
Arabia  being  the  country  east  of  the  Delta,  or  any  part  of  it.  Thou 
shalt  be  near  unto  me  implies  that  the  royal  residence  was  at  this 
time  within  easy  reach  of  Goshen.  See  also  46  :  29 ;  47  :  29.  The 
capital  of  Egypt  was  at  Bubastis  (near  Zagazig)  about  the  time  this 
passage  is  supposed  to  have  been  written,  and  had  been  since  She- 
shonk  I.,  founder  of  the  Twenty-second  Dynasty,  proclaimed  himself 
king  there  in  945  B.C.  It  is  possible  that  the  writer  carried  the 
conditions  of  his  own  time  back  to  the  days  of  Joseph. 
12.  My  mouth;  I  myself.  See  the  variants. 

14.  The  scene  closes,  according  to  the  Judean  version,  with  Joseph 
and  Benjamin  in  each  other's  arms. 

15.  The  Ephraimite  version  is  less  dramatic.     Joseph  finally  so 
far  overcame  the  fears  of  his  brothers  that  they  talked  with  him,  i.e., 
as  the  Vulgate  paraphrases  the  passage,  dared  to  talk  with  him. 

(/)  Pharaoh's  invitation,  45  :  16-28.  When  Pharaoh  hears  that 
Joseph's  brothers  are  in  Egypt,  he  gives  orders  that  they  be  supplied 
with  food  and  wagons  and  invited  to  bring  their  father  and  their 

330 


GENESIS  45  :  20 


16.  And0  the  fame  *  thereof  was  heard  in  Pharaoh's  house, 
saying,  Joseph's  brethren  are  come:    and  it2  pleased 

17.  Pharaoh  °well,  and  his3  servants.     And  Pharaoh  said 
unto  Joseph,  Say  unto  thy  brethren,  This  do  ye ;   °lade 
your  beasts,4  and  go, 5  get  you 5  unto  the  land  of  Canaan ; 

18.  and  take  your  father  and  °your  households,  and  come 
unto  me :   and  I  will  give  you  °6  the  good  6  of  the  land 

19.  of  Egypt,  and  ye  shall  eat  the  fat  of  the  land.  |  °Now 
7  thou  art  commanded,7  this  do  ye;    take  you  wagons 
out  of  the  land  of  Egypt  for  your  8  little  ones,  and  for 

20.  your  wives,8  and  bring  your  father,  and  come.     Also 

1  SV  report.  *  Syr.  the  thing.  3  Vg.  all  his.  *  Syr.  adds,  with  grain.  *  Gr. 
om.;  Syr.  bring.  6  Gr.  all  the  good.  1  Sam.  /  have  commanded;  Gr.  Vg.  command 
thou;  Syr.  adds,  say  to  thy  brethren.  *  Gr.  Vg.  wives  .  .  .  little  ones. 

families  to  Egypt,  promising  to  provide  for  them  bountifully  on  their 
arrival.  Joseph  not  only  fulfils  the  king's  instructions,  but  sends 
his  brothers  away  laden  with  presents  for  themselves  and  provisions 
for  their  father.  When  they  reach  home  their  father  at  first  refuses 
to  credit  their  report,  but,  being  convinced  by  the  preparations  for 
his  removal,  he  consents  to  undertake  the  journey. 

16.  The  fame  thereof;  not  of  the  weeping,  but  of  the  arrival  of 
Joseph's  brothers.     Compare  v.  2.    The  word  well  has  no  equivalent 
in  the  original,  which  reads,  literally,  it  was  good  in  the  eyes  of  Pharaoh. 

17.  Lade  your  beasts  ;    naturally,  as  the  Syriac  Version  adds,  with 
grain. 

18.  Your  households;    for  all  the  sons  of  Jacob  but  Benjamin, 
and  he  also,  perhaps,  according  to  the  Ephraimite  narrative,  must 
have  been  married.     The  good ;    a  familiar  Hebrew  idiom  for  the 
best.     Here,  as  appears  from  the  following  clause,  it  is  the  products 
of  the  land  that  are  meant.     In  47  :  6  it  is  the  land  assigned  to  the 
Hebrews,  the  land  of  Goshen. 

19.  The  clause  Now  thou  art  commanded  is  so  difficult  to  construe 
that  it  is  generally  regarded  as  either  a  copyist's  mistake  or  an  edi- 
torial addition.    The  reading  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  Versions,  But 
command  thou,  is  preferable  to  the  present  text.     Note  that  here  it  is 
Pharaoh  who  orders  the  wagons,  while  in  vs.  21  and  27  (E)  Joseph 
is  credited  with  furnishing  them.     See,  also,  46  :  5.    The  so-called 
wagons  are  the  carts  ordinarily  used  in  transporting  freight  both  in 
Egypt  and  in  Syria.     See  Erman,  LAE,  490.    Two  of  them  could 
be  hitched  together  to  make  a  proper  wagon. 


45  :  21  GENESIS 

regard  not  °your  stuff ;  for  01  the  good  of  all  *  the  land 
E  21.  of  Egypt  is  yours.  And  °the  sons  of  Israel  did  so :  |  and 
R  Joseph  °gave  them  wagons,  |  According  to  the  com- 

E  mand 2  of  Pharaoh,3  |  and    gave   them  provision  for 

22.  the  way.      °4  To  all  of  them4  he  gave  5'each  man5 
changes  of  raiment;    but  to  Benjamin  he  gave  °three 
hundred  pieces  of  silver,  and  five  changes  of  raiment. 

23.  And  to  his  father  he  sent  °6  after  this  manner  6;   ten  7 
asses  laden  with  °the  good  things  of  Egypt,  and  ten 
she-asses  laden  with  °8  corn  and  bread  and  victual 8 

24.  for  his  father  by  the  way.     So  he  sent  his   brethren 

1  Gr.  Vg.  all  the  good  of.  '  Syr.  -word  of  the  mouth.  3  Gr.  adds,  king  (of  Egypt). 
*  Syr.  adds  these  words  to  the  preceding  clause.  s  Gr.  om.  6  Vg.  as  much  in 
money  and  garments,  and  added.  1  Gr.  Syr.  and  ten.  8  Gr.  bread;  Vg.  grain 
and  bread;  Syr.  grain  and  wine  and  provision. 

20.  Your  stuff  ;   lit.  your  vessels.    The  loss  would  not  be  a  serious 
one,  the  household  utensils  of  the  nomad  then,  as  now,  being  few  in 
number  and  of  the  cheapest  material.     The  good  of  all ;    the  best  of 
all. 

21.  The  sons  of  Israel  did  so  ;    loaded  their  asses,  and,  having 
received  the  wagons  ordered  by  Pharaoh,  set  forth  on  their  return  to 
Canaan.    Thus  far  the  Judean  version.     At  this  point  the  compiler 
has  introduced  another  extract  from  the  parallel  narrative,  accord- 
ing to  which  Joseph,  apparently  on  his  own  initiative,  gave  them 
wagons.     To  make  the  transition  from  the  one  to  the  other  as  easy 
as  possible  he  inserted  the  adverbial  clause  according  to  the  com- 
mand of  Pharaoh. 

22.  To  all  of  them  he  gave  each  man  changes  of  raiment  is  intelli- 
gible in  Hebrew,  but  to  each  of  them  he  gave  a  change  of  raiment  would 
be  better  English.     Three  hundred  pieces  of  silver.     On  the  value 
see  20  :  16. 

23.  After  this  manner  is  rendered  by  the  Versions  as  if  it  referred 
to  the  just  mentioned  gifts,  and  the  items  which  follow  were  presents 
for  Jacob.     See  the  variants.     The  expression  may,  however,  mean 
as  follows,  and,  in  the  absence  of  a  connective  with  the  next  clause, 
this  seems  the  best  way  to  interpret  it.     The  good  things;    the  best. 
Corn  and  bread  and  victual.     There  is  evidently  something  wrong 
at  this  point.     Perhaps  the  original  reading  was  corn  for  bread.     See 
the  variants. 

24.  The  author  here  quoted  (E)  has  consistently  represented  the 


GENESIS  .  45  :  28 


away,  and  they  departed:  and  he  said  unto  them, J  See 

25.  that  ye  1  °fall  not  out  by  the  way.     And  they  went  up 
out  of  Egypt,  and  came  into  the  land  of  Canaan  unto 

26.  Jacob  their  father.     And  they  told  him,  saying,  Joseph  2 
is  yet  alive,  and  he  is  ruler  over  all  the  land  of  Egypt. 
And  3  his  heart  fainted,  for  °he  3  believed  them  not.  | 

27.  And  they  told  him  all  °the  words  of  Joseph,  which  he   J 
had  said  unto  them:  |  and  when  he  saw  the  wagons   E 
which  Joseph  had  sent  °to  carry  him,  the  spirit  of  Jacob 

28.  their  father  revived:  |  and  Israel  said,  It  is  enough4;  J 
0 Joseph  my  son  is  yet  alive :  I  will  go  and  see  him  before 

I  die. 

1  Heb.  pm.  »  Gr.  Thy  son  Joseph,  3  Gr.  Jacob's  mind  failed,  for  he;  Vg. 
Jacob,  as  if  awaking  from  a  heavy  sleep.  •*  Gr.  Vg.  add,  for  me  if;  Syr.  adds,  for 
f.ne  that. 

brothers  of  Joseph  as  haunted  by  fear  induced  by  bad  consciences. 
See  42  :  28  ;  45  :  3.  He  has  finally  for  the  time1  being  overcome  this 
feeling.  See  45  :  12,  15.  There  is  danger,  however,  of  its  recur- 
rence. If  such  a  thing  should  happen,  they  would  probably  not 
return  to  Egypt.  Hence  his  charge,  Fall  not  out,  or  better,  Be  not 
disturbed,  by  the  way. 

26.  He  believed  them  not.    The  news  was  too  good  to  be  true. 

27.  The  words  of  Joseph  are  doubtless  those  of  vs.  9  ff.    The 
latter  half  of  the  verse  should  be  connected  with  v.  26.     To  carry 
him  ;  also  the  women  and  children  of  his  family. 

28.  According  to  the  Judean  version  it  is  the  message  from  Joseph 
(27a)  by  which  Jacob  is  convinced  that  Joseph  is  yet  alive. 

(5)    Egypt  a  refuSe,  46  :  i-47  :  27 

The  next  section  describes  the  removal  of  Jacob  and  his  family 
to  Egypt  and  the  measures  by  which  Joseph  preserved  them  as  well 
as  the  Egyptians  from  perishing  during  the  last  five  years  of  the 
famine. 

(a)  The  descent  into  Egypt,  46  :  1-27.  Jacob,  being  encouraged 
so  to  do  in  a  vision  at  Beer-sheba,  removes  to  Egypt,  taking  with 
him  all  his  possessions  and  the  children  and  grandchildren,  with  the 
exception  of  those  already  there,  with  which  God  has  blessed  him. 
The  sources  are  the  Ephraimite  and  the  Priestly  narratives,  with  a 
fragment  from  the  Judean  and  some  editorial  additions. 

333 


46  :  I  GENESIS 


J   46.       And  °Israel  took  his  journey  with  all  that  he  had,  | 
R,  E  °and  came  to  Beer-sheba,  |  and  offered  sacrifices  l  unto 

2.  °the  God  of  his  father  Isaac.    And  God  °spake*  unto 
°Israel  *  in  *2  the  °visions  2|  of  the  night,  and  said,  Jacob, 

3.  Jacob.    And  he  said,  Here  am  I.    And  he  said,  I  am  God, 3 
the  God  of  thy  father :   fear  not  to  go  down  into  Egypt ; 

4.  for  I  will  there  make  of  thee  a  great  nation:   I  will  go 
down  with  thee  into  Egypt;  and  °I  will  also  surely4  bring 
thee  up  again :  and  Joseph  shall  put  his  hand  upon  thine 

R          eyes.    And  Jacob  rose  up  from  Beer-sheba:  |  and  the 
sons  of  Israel  carried  Jacob  their  father,  and  their  little 

5.  ones,  and  their  wives,  in  °the  wagons  which  Pharaoh  5 
P     6.   had  sent  °to  carry  him.  |  6  And  °they  took  their  cattle,8 

and  their  7  goods,  which  they  had  gotten  in  the  land  of 
Canaan,  and  came  into  Egypt,  Jacob,  and  all  his  seed 


1  Gr.  a  sacrifice.        *  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  a  vision.         3  Gr.  Syr.  om.;  Vg.  adds, 
Almighty.  •*  Syr.  om.  s  Gr.  Joseph.  6  Vg.  om.    »  Heb.  mss.  all  their;  Gr.  Vg.  all  the. 


1.  Israel  took  his  journey;    probably,  according  to  the  Judean 
narrative,  from  Hebron,  although  37  :  21,  as  has  been  shown,  cannot 
be  cited  in  support  of  this  opinion.     See  38  :  i.     In  the  Ephraimite 
version,  on  the  other  hand,  the  starting  point  was  probably  Beer- 
sheba.      When,  therefore,  the  two  were  united,  the  clause  and  came 
to  Beer-sheba  is  supposed  to  have  been  inserted  to  bring  them  into 
accord.     The  God  of  his  father  Isaac ;   who  had  worshipped  there 
before  him.     See  26  :  25. 

2.  The  word  spake  is  evidently  a  copyist's  mistake  for  the  very 
similar  (Hebrew)  word  appeared.      Read  also  for  Israel,  Jacob,  as 
at  the  end  of  the  verse,  and  for  visions,  with  the  Versions,  a  vision. 

4.  The  promise,  I  will  surely  bring  thee  up,  is  not  for  Jacob  per- 
sonally, but,  as  appears  from  the  next  clause,  for  his  descendants. 

5.  On  the  wagons  which  Pharaoh  had  sent,  see  45  :  19.     To  carry 
him;  perhaps  a  mistake  for  to  carry  them. 

6.  They  took  their  cattle.     One  would  infer  from  the  close  con- 
nection that  the  Priestly  writer  is  here  referring  to  the  same  date  as 
well  as  the  same  event  that  the  authors  of  vs.  1-4  had  in  mind.   This, 
however,  cannot  be  the  case;  for,  whereas  in  41  :  45  Joseph,  accord- 
ing to  the  same  author,  is  only  thirty  years  of  age  and  Jacob  a  little 

334 


GENESIS  46:11 


7.  with  him:   his  sons,  and  his  sons'  sons  °*!  with  him,1! 
his  daughters,2  and  his  sons'  daughters,2  °and  all  his 

8.  seed  3  brought  he  with  him  into  Egypt.3    And  these  are 
the  names  of  the  children  of  Israel,  °which  4  came  into 
Egypt,  °*  Jacob  and  his  sons :  f  °Reuben,  Jacob's  first- 

9.  born.     And  °the  sons  of  Reuben;    Hanoch,  and  Pallu, 

10.  and  Hezron,  and  Carmi.     And  °the  sons  of  Simeon; 
°Jemuel,   and  Jamin,  and   °Ohad,5  and  °Jachin,  and 
°Zohar,  and  Shaul  the   son  of  a  Canaanitish  woman. 

11.  And  °the  sons  of  Levi;  Gershon,  Kohath,6  and  Merari. 

1  Heb.  mss.  Gr.  om.  *  Gr.  and  his  daughters'  daughters;  Vg.  om.  3  Gr. 
brought  he  into  Egypt;  Vg.  om.  *  SV  who.  s  Syr.  Ohor.  6  Heb.  mss.  Gr.  mss. 
Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  and  Kohath. 

over  eighty,  in  47  :  9  the  latter  is  a  hundred  and  thirty ;  in  other 
words,  Jacob  did  not  remove  to  Egypt  until  nearly  fifty  years  after 
Joseph  became  prime  minister.  The  only  way  in  which  this  gap  in 
the  chronology  can  be  explained  seems  to  be  to  suppose  that  the 
author  detached  the  migration  of  Jacob  from  the  famine  and  post- 
poned it  to  allow  time  for  the  growth  of  the  family  to  the  number 
given  in  the  table  that  follows. 

7.  The  first  with  him  should  be  omitted,  as  it  is  in  some  Hebrew, 
and  most  Greek,  manuscripts,  and  the  second  and  all  his  seed  should 
be  rendered  even  all  his  seed. 

8.  If  the  phrase  rendered  Jacob  and  his  sons  is  to  be  retained,  it 
should  be  translated  Jacob  and  his  children,  so  that   it  will    include 
his  daughter  Dinah  and  his  granddaughter  Serah.     The  clause  which 
came  into  Egypt  must  not  be  taken  too  strictly,  Joseph  and  his  two 
sons  being  included. 

9.  Reuben,  Jacob's  firstborn.     In  Chronicles  Judah  is  the  head  of 
the  family,  because  "  from  him  came  the  prince,"  and  Reuben  is 
reduced  to  the  third  place  because  "  he  defiled  his  father's  couch." 
See  i  Chr.  5:1  ff.    The  names  of  the  sons  of  Reuben  are  given  in 
the  same  form  and  order  in  Ex.  6  :  14 ;   Num.  26  :  5  f.;    and  i  Chr. 

10.  The  names  of  the  sons  of  Simeon  are  the  same  in  form  and 
order  in  Ex.  6  :  13  ;  but  the  name  Chad  is  wanting  in  Num.  26  :  12  f. 
and  i  Chr.  4  :  24,  and  in  both  of  these  passages  Jemuel  appears  as 
Nemuel  and  Zohar  as  Zerah.     Finally,  in  i  Chr.  4  :  24  Jachin,  ap- 
parently by  mistake,  is  written  Jarib. 

11.  The  names  of  the  sons  of  Levi  are  given  in  Ex.  6  :  16  ;   Num. 

335 


46  :  12  GENESIS 


12.  And  °the  sons  of  Judah;  °Er,  and  °Onan,  and  Shelah,1 
and  Perez,  and  Zerah :  *  but  Er  and  Onan  °died  in  the 
land  of  Canaan. f     And  the  sons  of  Perez  were  Hezron 

13.  and  Hamul.2     And  the  sons  of  Issachar;    Tola,  and 

14.  °Puvah,  and  °Iob,3*  and  Shimron.4    And  °the  sons  of 

15.  Zebulun;    Sered,  and  Elon,  and  Jahleel.     These  are 
°the  sons  of  Leah,  °which  5  she  bare  unto  Jacob  in 
Paddan-aram,  °*  with   his  daughter  Dinah  f :   all  the 
souls  of  his  sons  °*  and  his  daughters  f  were  °thirty  and 


1  Gr.  Selom.    *  Gr.  lemouel.    3  Sam.  Gr.  Jashub.     *  Gr.  Zambram.      s  SV  whom. 

26  :  57 ;  and  i  Chr.  6  :  i  in  the  same  form  and  order  as  in  this  pass- 
age. The  connective  and  should  be  supplied  between  the  first  two. 
See  the  variants. 

12.  Er  and  Onan  are  reckoned  among  the  sons  of  Judah,  although 
they  died  in  the  land  of  Canaan ;    and  their  names  are  needed  to 
complete  the  number  of  the  children  of  Leah,  as  given  in  v.  15,  if 
Dinah's  be  omitted.    The  explanation  is  that  originally  no  reference 
\\as  made  here  to  the  death  of  these  two  sons  of  Judah,  and  that  the 
one  who  inserted  it  added  the  name  of  Jacob  in  v.  8  and  that  of 
Dinah  in  v.  15  to  fill  their  places.    The  names  of  the  sons  of  Judah 
here  given  are  repeated  in  the  same  form  and  order  in  Num.  26  :  19  ff., 
and  i  Chr.  2:36°.     In  Ex.  6  neither  Judah  nor  any  of  the  remaining 
sons  of  Jacob  appear. 

13.  The  name  Puvah  (Heb.  Puwwati)  is  only  another  form  of  the 
Puah  of  i  Chr.  7:1.     See  Jud.  10  :  i,  where  Puah  is  the  father,  not 
the  son,  of  Tola.     For  lob  read,  with  the  Samaritans  and  other  author- 
ities, Jashub,  the  form  found  in  Num.  26  :  23  and  i  Chr.  7:1. 

14.  The  names  of  the  sons  of  Zebulun  are  the  same,  and  are  given 
in  the  same  order,  in  Num.  26  :  20.    They  are  wanting  in  i  Chron- 
icles. 

15.  The  sons  of  Leah  ;  not  strictly,  but  her  children,  grandchildren, 
and  great-grandchildren.     Which  she  bare,  refers,  of  course,  to  those 
of  the  first  generation.      The  construction  of  the  phrase  with  his 
daughter  Dinah  is  such  as  to  show  that  it  was  an  afterthought.     So, 
also,  and  his  daughters.     Thirty  and  three.    The  number  can  be 
obtained  in  two  ways  : 

6  sons  +  25  grandsons  +  2  great-grandsons  =  33. 
Jacob  +  6  sons  +  i  daughter  +  23  grandsons  +  2  great-grandsons  =  33. 
The  former  evidently  represents  the  intent  of  the  original  author. 

336 


GENESIS  46:21 

16.  three.     And  the  sons  of  Gad;    °Ziphion/  and  Haggi, 
Shuni,2  and  °Ezbon,3*  °Eri,4   and   Arodi,   and   Areli.5 

17.  And   the  sons  of  Asher;    Imnah,   and   °Ishvah,   and 
Ishvi,6  and  Beriah,  and  Serah  their  sister:  and  the  sons 

18.  of  Beriah;    Heber,  and  Malchiel.     These  are  the  sons 
of  Zilpah,  which  7  Laban  gave  to  Leah  his  daughter, 

19.  and  these  she  bare  unto  Jacob,  even  °sixteen  souls.    The 
sons  of  Rachel  Jacob's  wife;    Joseph  and  Benjamin. 

20.  And  unto  Joseph  in  the  land  of  Egypt  were  born  Ma- 
nasseh  and  Ephraim,  which  7  Asenath  the  daughter  of 

21.  Poti-phera  priest  of  On  bare  unto  him.     And  the  sons 
of  °Benjamin;  Bela,  and  Becher,8  and  Ashbel,9  Gera,  and 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Zephon.  *  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  and  Shuni.  3  Sam.  Syr.  Ezbeon. 
«  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  with  and;  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  Adi.  s  Syr.  Adri.  6  Gr.  leoul.  ?  SV 
whom.  *  Gr.  Chobor;  Syr.  Achbor,  »  Gr.  adds,  and.  sons  were  born  to  Bela. 

16.  For  Ziphion  read,  with  the  Samaritans  and  the  Greek  Version, 
Zephon.     So  Num.  26  :  15.    For  Ezbon  read,  with  the  Samaritans  and 
the  Syriac  Version,  Ezbeon,  for  which  Num.  26  :  15  has  Ozni.     Eri 
is  perhaps  a  mistake  for  Adi.     See  the  variants.    The  connective 
should  be  supplied  after  the  second  and  the  fourth  of  these  names. 
See  the  variants. 

17.  In  Num.  26  :  54  the  name  Ishvah  is  wanting,  but  i  Chr.  7  :  30  f. 
agree  with  this  passage. 

18.  Sixteen  souls;   2  sons,  n  grandsons,  i  granddaughter,  and  2 
great-grandsons. 

20.  To  this  verse  the  Greek  Version,  which  is  followed  by  the  Old 
Latin,  adds  as  follows:  And  there  were  born  to  Manasseh  sons,  in-horn 
the  Syrian  concubine  bare ;  Machir:  and  Machir  begat  Gilead.     And 
the  sons  of  Ephraim  the  brother  of  Manasseh;  Sutalaam  and  Taam ; 
and  the  sons  of  Sutalaam ;  Edem.    This  is  an  adaptation  of  Num. 
26  :  29,  35  f.,  making  an  addition  of  five  souls  which  was  doubtless 
suggested,  but  is  not  authorized,  by  50  :  23. 

21.  Benjamin,  though  the  youngest  of  Jacob's  sons,  here  has  more 
sons  of  his  own  than  any  of  the  others.    The  parallel  passages,  how- 
ever, do  not  tell  the  same  story.    There  seem  to  have  been  two  dis- 
tinct traditions,  one  of  which,  represented  by  i  Chr.  7  :  6  ff.  and  the 
Greek  Version,  gave  him  only  three.     Their  names,  according  to  the 
Chronicler  were  Bela,  Becher,  and  Jediael,  according  to  the  Greek, 
Bela,  Chobor,  and  Ashbel.    The  other  tradition,  represented  by  Num. 

z  337 


46  :  22  GENESIS 


Naaman,  Ehi,1  and  Rosh,2  Muppim,1  and  Huppim,  and 

22.  Ard.3    These  are   the  sons  of  Rachel,  which  4  5  were 

23.  born  to  Jacob5:    all  the  souls  were  °fourteen."    And 

24.  the  °sons  of  Dan;   Hushim.     And  °the  sons  of  Naph- 
tali;     Jahzeel,    and    Guni,    and   Jezer,    and   Shillem. 

25.  These  are  the  sons  of  Bilhah,  which  7  Laban  gave  unto 
Rachel  his  daughter,  and  these  she  bare  unto  Jacob: 

26.  all  the  souls  were  °seven.     All  the  souls  8  that  came  with 
Jacob8  into  Egypt,  which9  came  out  of  his  loins,  be- 
sides Jacob's   sons'  wives,  *all  the  souls  were  °three- 

27.  score   and  six;    and  the  sons  of  Joseph,  which4  were 
born  to  him  in  Egypt,  were  °two  10  souls :  all  the  souls 


'Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  with  and.  •  Syr.  Orush.  3  Gr.  Cera  begat  Ard.  *SV  who. 
«  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  she  bare  to  Jacob.  6  Gr.  eighteen.  »  SV  whom.  *  m. 
belonging  to  Jacob  that  came.  »  SV  that.  l°  Gr.  nine  (seven). 

26  :  38  ff.  and  i  Chr.  8  :  i  ff.,  gave  him  five  sons.  In  the  former 
passage  their  names  are  Belah,  Ashbel,  Ahiram,  Shephupham,  and 
Hupham  ;  in  the  latter  the  last  three  are  replaced  by  Ahara,  Nohah, 
and  Rapha.  In  the  Greek  Version  the  names  here  given,  from  the 
fourth  to  the  ninth,  are  the  names  of  sons  of  Bela,  while  the  tenth 
is  that  of  a  son  of  Gera.  Any  such  scheme  is  entirely  inconsistent 
with  the  Judean  or  the  Ephraimite  version  of  the  story  of  Joseph,  but, 
as  has  been  shown,  there  is  plenty  of  room  for  it  in  the  chronology 
of  the  Priestly  narrative.  See  v.  6  and  the  comments.  For  tabular 
presentation  of  the  children  of  Benjamin  according  to  the  various 
sources  mentioned,  see  the  Appendix,  Note  D. 

22.  Fourteen ;    2  sons  and  12  grandsons. 

23.  Dan  is  credited  with  sons,  but  only  one  name  is  given,  Hushim, 
and  that,  according  to  Num.  26  :  42,  is  a  mistake  for  Shuham.     See, 
also,  i  Chr.  7:12  and  8  :  8,  where  the  former  is  a  Benjamite  name. 

24.  In  Num.  26  :  48  f.,  the  names  of  the  sons  of  Naphtali  are  given 
in  the  same  form  and  order  as  in  this  passage,  but  in  i  Chr.  7  :  13 
the  last  two  have  the  forms  Jahziel  and  Shallum. 

25.  Seven;    2  sons  and  5  grandsons. 

26.  The  number  threescore  and  six  is  obtained  by  adding  together : 
the  sons  of  Leah,  minus  Er  and  Onan,  but  plus  Dinah,  32  ;   the  sons 
of  Zilpah,  16;   the  sons  of  Rachel,  minus  Joseph  and  his  sons,  n  ; 
and  the  sons  of  Bilhah,  7  :  total,  66.    These  came  with  Jacob,  the  sixty- 
seventh,  to  Egypt. 

338 


GENESIS  46  :  29 

of  the  house  of  Jacob,  which  1  came  into  Egypt,  f  were 
02  threescore  and  ten.2 

28.  And  he  sent  °Judah  before  him  unto  Joseph,  O3to  J 
shew  the  way  before  him3  4unto  °Goshen4;  5and  they* 

29.  came  into  the  land  of  °Goshen.5    And  °Joseph  made 

1  SV  that.  *  Gr.  seventy  and  five.  3  Sam.  Syr.  to  appear  before  htm;  Gr.  to  meet 
him ;  Vg.  to  give  notice  to  him  and  meet  him.  •*  Gr.  by  Heroopolis.  s  Sam.  Vg. 
and  he  came,  etc.;  Gr.  in  the  land  of  Rameses. 

27.  In  Egypt  there  were  born  to  Joseph,  the  sixty-eighth,  two 
souls,   making  the  round  number  threescore  and  ten.    The  same 
result  is  reached  by  simply  adding  together  the  separate  groups  as 
they  are  given  in  the  list,  —  for  33  +  16  +  14  +  7  =  70,  —  and  this  was 
probably,  as  has  already  been  suggested,  the  idea  of  the  original  author. 
In  the  Greek  Version  the  total,  of  course,  is  seventy  and  jive. 

The  above  list  must  not  be  regarded  as  a  proper  genealogy.  In 
the  first  place,  while  some  of  the  names  are  doubtless  used  to  desig- 
nate persons,  there  are  others  of  a  different  character.  Thus  Hezron, 
Shimron,  and  Zephon  are  towns  in  the  region  where  the  respective 
tribes  were  settled.  Arodi  and  Areli,  and  perhaps  others  with  the 
same  ending,  are  gentilic  nouns,  meaning  the  Arodite,  Arelite,  etc. 
Finally  Muppim,  Huppim,  and  Hushim  are  plurals,  and  therefore 
unsuited  to  serve  to  designate  individuals.  On  the  three  classes  see 
10  :  13  ff.  Note,  also,  that  in  i  Chr.  7  :  8  Anathoth  and  Alemeth,  well- 
known  places,  are  among  the  sons  of  Becher. 

(b)  The  reception  in  Egypt,  46  :  28-47  :  I2-  This  was  nrst  per- 
sonal, from  Joseph,  and  second,  official,  from  the  king  himself. 

(a)  With  Joseph  in  Goshen,  46  :  28-34.  Joseph,  being  notified 
of  Jacob's  approach,  goes  forth  in  a  chariot  to  meet  him  in  Goshen. 
After  they  have  exchanged  greetings  Joseph  returns  to  inform  Pharaoh 
of  his  father's  arrival,  first  instructing  his  brothers  how,  when  they  are 
presented  at  court,  they  should  order  their  words  to  secure  a  suitable 
assignment  in  the  country.  The  source  is  the  Judean  narrative. 

28.  The  reappearance  of  Judah  marks  a  change  of  authorship. 
To  shew  the  way  before  him  can  hardly  be  a  correct  rendering  in  view 
of  what  follows.     Better,  to  announce  him,  give  notice  of  his  approach. 
If  Goshen  were  here  a  city,  it  would  hardly  be  the  Heroopolis  of  the 
Greek  Version ;  for,  although  this  city  was  in  the  region  called  Goshen, 
there  is  no  evidence  that  it  was  ever  called  by  the  same  name.    The 
city  of  Goshen  (Eg.   Kesm)  was  probably  at    the  modern  Saft  el- 
Henna,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Pelusiac  branch  of  the  Nile,  east  of 
Bubastis.     In  the  last  clause  read,  with  the  Samaritans,  he,  Jacob, 
came,  etc. 

339 


46  :  30  GENESIS 

ready  his  chariot,  and  °went  up  to  meet  Israel  his  father, 
1  to  Goshen  J;  and  °he  **  presented  himself  unto2f  him, 
and  fell  on  his  neck,  and  wept  3on  his  neck3  a  good 

30.  while.     And  Israel  said  unto  Joseph,  °Now(  let  me  die, 

31.  since  I  have  seen  thy  face,4  that  thou  art  yet  alive.     And 
Joseph  said  unto  his  brethren,  °*5  and  unto  his  father's 
house,5f  °I  will  go  up,  and  tell  Pharaoh,  and  will  say 
unto  him,  °My  brethren  and  my  father's  house,  which  ° 

32.  were  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  are  come  unto  me;  and  the 
men  are  shepherds,  °*for  they  have  been  7  keepers  of 
cattle  7f;   and  they  have  brought  their  flocks,  and  their 

33.  herds,  and  all  that  they  have.     And  it  shall  come  to 
pass,  when  Pharaoh  shall  call  you,  and  shall  say,  What 

1  Gr.  by  Hcroopolis.      *  Vg.  saw .      3  Gr.  Vg.  om.      *  Syr.  adds,  my  son.      s  Gr. 
om.      6  SV  who.      ^  Syr.  Possessors  of  properly. 

29.  Joseph  made  ready  his  chariot ;   on  hearing  from  Judah  that 
his  father  was  approaching.     He  went  up  ;   from  the  Nile  and  toward 
the  higher  regions  to  the  eastward.    He  presented  himself  unto  him  is 
certainly  not  the  original  reading.     Better,  as  in  the  Vulgate,  he  saw 
him,  i.e.,  when  he  saw  him,  he  fell,  etc.    There  is  nothing  to  indicate 
where  Judah  found  Joseph,  but  it  cannot  have  been  far  from  the  land 
of  Goshen.     If  the  date  is  that  of  the  Hyksos,  the  court  may  have  been 
at  Avaris,  their  stronghold,  which,  according  to  Petrie,  was  at  Tell 
el-Yehudiyeh,  on  the  edge  of  the  desert,  about  twenty  miles  north  of 
Cairo.     From  this  point  it  would  be  easy  to  reach  Goshen,  although 
the  eastern  border  of  the  region  so  called  was  at  least  seventy  miles 
distant. 

30.  Now  let  me  die  is  not  a  prayer  for  death,  but,  as  the  Tar- 
gum  interprets  it,  the  equivalent  of,  If  I  should  die  now,  I  should  be 
content. 

31.  The  phrase  and  unto  his  father's  house  has  no  meaning  in  this 
connection.     It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that   it   should  be  wanting 
in  the  Greek  Version.     I  will  go  up;   to  the  court.     My  brethren, 
and  my  father's  house.     Here  the  latter  expression  has  a  meaning. 
It  distinguishes  the  rest  of  the  family  from  the  brothers,  with  whom 
the  king  was  already  acquainted. 

32.  The  clause  for  they  have  been  keepers  of  cattle  seems  to  have 
been  borrowed  from  v.  34. 

340 


GENESIS 


47:3 


34.  is  your  occupation?  that  ye  shall  say,  Thy  servants 
have  been  01  keepers  of  cattle  l  from  our  youth  even 
until  now,  both  we,  and  our  fathers:  °that  ye  may 
dwell  in  the  land  of  Goshen 2 ;  for  °*3  every  shepherd  is  3f 
an  abomination  unto  the  Egyptians. 

47.  Then  Joseph  went  in  and  told  Pharaoh,  and  said,  My 
father  and  my  brethren,  and  their  flocks,  and  their  herds, 
and  all  that  they  have,  are  come  out  of  the  land  of 

2.  Canaan:  and,  behold,  they  are4  in  the  land  of  Goshen. 
And  from  among  his  brethren  he  took  5  five  men,  and 

3.  presented  them  unto  Pharaoh.     And  Pharaoh  said  unto 
his 6  brethren,  What  is  your  occupation  ?    And  they  said 
unto  Pharaoh,  Thy  servants  are  shepherds,  both  we, 


1  Syr.  possessors  of  properly.  *  Gr.  Gesem  of  Arabia.  3  Sam.  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  all 
shepherds  are.  4  Vg.  Syr.  add,  staying.  *  Sam.  adds,  with  him.  6  Sam.  Gr.  Syr. 
Joseph's. 


34.  Here  keepers  of  cattle  takes  the  place  of  the  narrower  term 
shepherds.  That  ye  may  dwell  in  the  land  of  Goshen.  Here,  again, 
the  purpose  is  an  indirect  one.  The  men  are  advised  frankly  to  ac- 
knowledge their  calling,  not  because  it  will  be  any  credit  to  them,  but 
because  the  Egyptian  repugnance  tc  it  will  prompt  Pharaoh  to  locate 
them  in  the  outlying  nome  where  there  is  the  best  pasturage.  For 
every  shepherd  is,  the  better  reading  is  all  shepherds  are,  an  abomina- 
tion. The  herdsmen  were  especially  offensive  because  they  pastured 
their  cattle  on  the  marshes,  where  they  followed  a  filthy  mode  of  life, 
and  the  average  Egyptian  made  cleanliness  the  first  of  duties. 

(ft)  Before  the  king  of  Egypt,  47  :  1-12.  Joseph  reports  the  arri- 
val of  his  family  and  presents,  first,  five  of  his  brothers,  who,  when 
Pharaoh  asks  them  about  their  calling,  tell  him  that  they  are  shepherds 
and  ask  him  to  allow  them  to  settle  in  Goshen  ;  and  he  grants  their 
request.  Later  Joseph  introduces  his  father,  and  Pharaoh  receives 
him  with  great  interest  and  condescension.  Finally,  Joseph  puts  his 
father  and  brothers  in  possession  of  the  land  allotted  to  them  and 
supplies  them  with  food  during  the  famine.  The  paragraph  is  com- 
posed of  extracts  from  the  Judean  and  Priestly  sources. 

i.  Joseph  does  what  he  can  in  his  introductory  speech  to  turn  the 
king's  thoughts  in  the  desired  direction  by  calling  his  attention  to  the 
fact  that  Jacob's  flocks  and  herds  are  already  in  the  land  of  Goshen. 

34i 


47  :  4  GENESIS 


4.   and   our   fathers.     *And    they   said    unto    Pharaoh, f 

To  sojourn  in  the  land  are  we  come;   for  there  is  no 

pasture  for  thy  servants'  flocks;   for  the  famine  is  sore 

in  the  land  of  Canaan :  now  therefore,  we  pray  thee,  let 

P     5.   thy  servants  °dwell  in  the  land  of  Goshen.1  |  °And 

Pharaoh  spake  unto  Joseph,  saying,  Thy  father  and 

6.   thy  brethren  are  come  unto  thee:   the  land  of  Egypt  is 

before  thee ;  °in  the  best  of  the  land  make  thy  father  and 

J  thy  brethren  to   dwell2;  |  in   the   land  of  Goshen  let 

them  dwell :    and   if  thou  knowest  any  3  able  men 3 

among  them,  then  make  them  rulers  over  °4  my  cattle.4  | 

P     7.   And  Joseph  brought  in  Jacob  his  father,  and  set  him 

8.   before  Pharaoh:    and  °Jacob  blessed  Pharaoh.     And 

Pharaoh  said  unto  Jacob,  °How  many  are  the  days  of  the 

1  Gr.  inserts,  And  Pharaoh  said  unto  Joseph;  also  6b;  also,  And  there  came 
into  Egypt  to  Joseph  Jacob  and  his  sons;  and  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt  heard. 
»  See  v.  4.  3  m.  men  of  activity.  •»  Syr.  all  my  property. 

4.  The  brothers,  having  answered  Pharaoh's  question,  abandon 
finesse  and  bluntly  ask  permission  to  dwell  in  the  land  of  Goshen. 

5.  At  this  point  the  Greek  Version  diverges  from  the  Hebrew  text, 
beginning  this  verse  as  follows:    And   Pharaoh  said  unto  Joseph, 
Let  them  dwell  in  the  land  of  Goshen  :   and  if  thou  knowest  that  there 
are  able  men  among  them,  appoint  them  rulers  over  my  cattle  (6b). 
Then  follows  the  statement,  And  there  came  into  Egypt  to  Joseph 
Jacob  and  his  sons;  and  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt  heard.     Finally  comes, 
And  Pharaoh  spake,  etc.,  i.e.,  v.  5  as  above  given.     Here,  as  in  many 
other  cases,  the  Greek  translation  seems  to  have  preserved  the  original 
reading. 

6.  According  to  the  Priestly  writer,  therefore,  Pharaoh,  on  hearing 
of  the  arrival  of  Joseph's  family,  and  without  waiting  to  be  asked, 
gave  orders  that  they  be  settled  in  the  best  of  the  land.     My  cattle. 
The  kings  of  Egypt  had  cattle  in  great  numbers.    The  superintendents 
of  the  oxen,  therefore,  were  among  the  important  officers  of  the  crown. 
The  Greek  Version  naturally  omits  the  latter  part  of  the  verse  in  this 
connection. 

7.  Jacob  blessed  Pharaoh ;    greeted  him  with  a  benediction.     See 
43  :  29 ;    Ruth  2:4;   etc. 

8.  How  many?    The  original  is  more  polite,  asking,  About  how 
many  ? 

342 


GENESIS 

9.  years  of  thy  life?  And  Jacob  said  unto  Pharaoh,  The 
days  of  the  years  of  my  pilgrimage  l  are  °an  hundred 
and  thirty  years:  °few  and  evil  have  been  the  days  of 
the  years  of  my  life,  and  they  have  not  attained  unto 
2  the  days  of 2  3  the  years  of 3  °4  the  life  of 4  my  fathers 

10.  5in  the  days  of  their  pilgrimage.5    And  ° Jacob  blessed 
Pharaoh,  and  went  out  from  the  presence  of  Pharaoh. 

11.  And  Joseph  placed  his  father  and  his  brethren,  and 
gave  them  a  possession  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  in  the  best 
of  the  land,  in  °the  land  of  Rameses,  as  Pharaoh  had 

12.  commanded.  |  And   Joseph  nourished  his  father,  and 
his  brethren,  and  all  his  father's  household,  with  bread, 
according  to  their  °families. 

*  m.  sojournings ;  Gr.  life  that  I  live.  *  Syr.  otn.  3  Sam.  Vg.  om.  <Vg. 
om.  s  m.  in  the  days  of  their  sojournings;  Gr.  which  they  lived. 

9.  An  hundred  and  thirty  years.     Joseph,  therefore,  according  to 
the  same  author,   must  have  been  seventy-seven  years  old.     Few 
and  evil.     Abraham  lived  to  the  age  of  a  hundred  and  seventy-five 
and  Isaac  five  years  longer.     See  25  :  7;    35  :  28.     The  life  of  my 
fathers  is  another  notable  instance  of  the  use  of  the  singular,  in  imita~ 
tion  of  the  Hebrew,  where  the  English  idiom  requires  the  plural. 

10.  Jacob  blessed  Pharaoh  ;  gave  him  a  parting  salutation. 

11.  The  land  of  Rameses.    The  region  in  question  cannot  at  the 
time  have  had  the  name  here  given  to  it,  since  it  was  so  called  for 
Rameses  II.,  and  he  did  not  begin  his  reign  until  about  1300  B.C.,  or 
some  centuries  after  the  supposed  time  of  Joseph.     In  this  nome  was 
the  city  of  Rameses,  from  which  the  children  of  Israel  started  when 
they  left  Egypt  under  Moses.     See  Ex.  12  :  37.      It  has  been  identi- 
fied by  Petrie  with  Tell  er-Retabeh,  in  Wady  Tumilat,  nearly  midway 
between  Zagazig  and  Ismailiyeh. 

12.  The  word  here  rendered  families  is  elsewhere  translated  little 
ones,  and  there  is  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be  so  rendered  in  this 
case.     See  43  :  8  ;    45  :  19. 

(c)  Joseph's  statesmanship,  47  :  13-27.  The  famine  continues 
until  all  the  money  among  the  Egyptians  is  exhausted.  Then  Joseph 
gives  them  grain  in  exchange  for  their  cattle  and  finally  for  their  land. 
Thus  all  the  land,  except  that  of  the  priests,  comes  into  the  possession 
of  the  crown,  and  is  rented  to  the  people  for  a  fifth  of  the  product. 
The  source,  except  in  27b  (P),  is  the  Judean. 

343 


47 


GENESIS 


j    13.       And  °there  was  no  bread  in  all  the  land ;  for  the  fam- 
ine was  very  sore,  so  that *  the  land  of  Egypt  *  and  1  °the 

14.  land  of  Canaan  f  fainted  by  reason  of  the  famine.     And 
Joseph  gathered  up  all  the  money  that  was  found  in  the 
land  of  Egypt,  *  and  in  the  land  of  Canaan,f  for  the 
corn  which  they  bought 2 :    and  Joseph   brought 3  the 

15.  money  into  °Pharaoh's  house.     And  when  the  money 
was  °all 4  *  spent  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  *  and  in  the  land 
of  Canaan,f  all  the  Egyptians  came  unto  Joseph,  and 
said,  Give  us  bread :   5  for  why  should  we 5  die  in  thy 

16.  presence?    for  °our  money  faileth.     And  Joseph  said, 
Give  °your  cattle ;  and  I  will  give  you  6  for  °your  cattle, 

17.  °if  money  fail.     And  they  brought  their  cattle  unto 
Joseph:    and  Joseph  gave  them  bread  in  exchange  for 
°the  horses,  and  for  the  flocks,  and  for  the  herds,  and 
for  the  asses :  and  °he  fed  them  with  bread  in  exchange 

18.  for  all  their  cattle  for  that  year.    And  when  that  year  was 
ended,  they  came  unto  him  the  second  year,  and  said 


1  Tar.  adds,  the  people  of.  »  Gr.  adds,  and  lie  dealt  grain  to  them.  3  Gr. 

adds,  all.       •*  So  Gr.;   Heb.  om.       *  Syr.  that  we  may  live  and  not.       6  Sam.  Gr. 
Vg.  add,  bread. 


13.  There  was  no  bread;  the  crops  having  failed  at  least  twice  in 
succession.     See  45  :  n.         The  references  to  the  land  of  Canaan  in 
this  and  the  following  verses  are  probably  all  glosses,  since  it  is  only 
with  the  Egyptians  that  Joseph  really  has  to  do. 

14.  Pharaoh's  house ;    the  so-called  "  White  House,"  the  treasury 
of  the  empire. 

15.  All  spent.     Better,  exhausted.     Our  money  faileth  is  incorrect. 
Better,  money  there  is  none. 

16.  Your  cattle ;    including  the  four  kinds  named  in  v.   17.     If 
money  fail ;    if  there  is  no  money. 

17.  The  horses.    These  animals  were  introduced  into  Egypt  by 
the  Hyksos,  during  whose  dominance  Joseph  is  supposed  to  have 
been   carried   to   Egypt.     See   Breasted,  HE,  222.     He  fed   them; 
sustained  them,  the  verb  being  the  same  that  in  Ps.  23  :  2  is  rendered 
lead. 

344 


GENESIS 


47  122 


unto  him,  We  will  not  hide  from  my  1  lord,  how  that 
our  money  is  °all2  spent;  and  the  herds  of  cattle  are 
my 3  lord's ;  there  is  nought  left  in  the  sight  of  my 4  lord, 

19.  but  our  bodies,  and  °our  lands5:  wherefore  should  we 
die  before  thine  eyes,  °both  we  and  our  land 6  ?  buy  us 
and  our  land  7  for  bread,  and  we  and  our  land  7  will  be 
°servants  unto  Pharaoh :   and  °give  us  seed,  that  we  may 

20.  live,  and  not  die,  and  that  the  land  be  not  desolate.     So 
Joseph  bought  all  the  land  of  Egypt  for  Pharaoh;   for 
the  Egyptians  sold  every  man  his  field,8  because  the 
famine  was  sore  upon  them:    and  °the  land  became 

21.  Pharaoh's.     And  as  for  the  people,  °he 9  removed  them  9 
10  to  the  cities10  from  one  end  of  the  border  of  Egypt  even 

22.  to  the  other  end  thereof.     Only  the  land  of  the  priests 


1  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  our.        a  So  Syr.;    Heb.  om.      s  Syr.  our.      *  Gr.  Svr.  our.       s  So 
Syr.;   Heb.  Gr.  Vg.  sing.  6  Heb.  mss.  Sam.  mss.  Syr.  plu.;  Gr.  adds,  be  wasted, 

i  Heb.  mss.  Sam.  mss.  plu.         8  Gr.  adds,  to  Pharaoh.         °  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  made  them 
slaves.       I0  m.  according  to  their  cities;   Gr.  to  him;  Syr.  Tar.  from  cily  to  city. 


18.  All  spent.     See  v.  15.    Our  lands.   The  original  has  the  singular 
here,  as  in  the  following  verses.     See  the  variants. 

19.  Both  we  and  our  land.     Here  it  would  have  been  better  to 
supply  a  second  verb  for  the  subject  land,  and  render,  e.g.,  and  our 
land  become  desolate.      So,  also,  for  servants  unto  Pharaoh  a  better 
rendering  would  be  Pharaoh's,  or,  the  possession  of  Pharaoh.     Give 
us  seed.    They  still  have  faith  in  their  wonderful  soil. 

20.  The  land  became  Pharaoh's.     In  early  times  the  land  in  Egypt 
was  largely  held  by  a  few  families.     After  the  expulsion  of  the  Hyksos 
that  belonging  to  the  heads  of  these  families  was  confiscated,  except  in 
the  nome  of  el-Kab.    Thus  the  landed  property  passed  into  the  posses- 
sion of  the  crown  and  the  temples. 

21.  He  removed  them  to  the  cities.     At  first  sight  this  seems  a 
wise  measure,  but  if,  as  must  be  taken  for  granted,  the  people  still 
got  what  they  could  from  the  soil,  it  was  plainly  impracticable.    This 
being  the  case,  it  is  a  relief  to  know  that  there  is  another  reading,  he 
caused  them  to  serve  as  slaves,  which  not  only  answers  the  requirements 
of  the  context,  but  has  the  support  of  the  Samaritans  and  the  Greek 
and  Latin  Versions.    The  difference  between  the  two  in  Hebrew  is  so 
slight  that  one  of  them  would  easily  be  mistaken  for  the  other. 

345 


47  :  23  GENESIS 


bought  he1  not:  for  °the  priests  had  a  portion  from  Pha- 
raoh, and  did  eat  their  portion  which  Pharaoh  gave  them ; 

23.  wherefore  they  sold  not  their  land.     Then  Joseph  said 
unto  2  the  people,2  Behold,  I  have  bought  you  this  day 
and  your  land  for  Pharaoh :  lo,  here  is  seed  for  you,  and 

24.  ye  shall  °sow  the  land.    And  it  shall  come  to  pass  at  the 
ingatherings,  that  ye  shall  give  °a  fifth  unto  Pharaoh, 
and  four  parts  shall  be  your  own,  for  seed  of  the  field, 
and  for  your  food,  and  for  them  3  of  your  households, 

25.  *4and  for. food  for  your  little  ones.4f     And  they  said, 
Thou  hast  saved  our  lives :    let  us  find  grace 5  in  the 
sight  of  my  6  lord,  and  we  will  be  Pharaoh's  servants. 

26.  And  Joseph  made  it  a  statute  concerning  the  land  of 
Egypt  unto  this  day,  that  Pharaoh  should  have  the 


r.  Joseph.       '  Gr.  all  the  Egyptians. 
5  SV  favor.       6  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  our. 


1  Gr.  Joseph.       *  Gr.  aU  the  Egyptians.      J  Gr.  all  them;  Vg.  Syr.  food.      «Gr. 
om. 


22.  The  priests  had  a  portion  from  Pharaoh ;  an  allowance  over  and 
above  their  own  revenues.     From  the  earliest  times  the  kings  made 
large  gifts  to  the  temples,  but  "  the  golden  age  for  the  temples  began 
with  the  Asiatic  expeditions  of  the  Eighteenth  Dynasty." 

23.  The  people  are  not  held  in  absolute  bondage,  but  treated  as 
tenants  of  the  king,  who  provides  them  with  seed  with  which  to  sow 
the  land. 

24.  A  fifth  unto  Pharaoh.    There  is  no  record  in  the  annals  of 
Egypt  of  the  establishment  of  this  system,  but  there  is  evidence  of  the 
existence  of  something  of  the  kind  from  the  expulsion  of  the  Hyksos 
onward.     Breasted  says  on  the  subject :    "  Its  [the  country's]  lands, 
now  chiefly  owned  by  the  crown,  were  worked  by  the  king's  serfs, 
controlled  by  his  officials,  or  intrusted  by  him  as  permanent  and  in- 
divisible fiefs  to  his  favorite  nobles,  his  partisans  and  relatives.     Di- 
visible parcels  might  also  be  held  by  tenants  of  the   untitled  class. 
Both  classes  of  holdings  might  be  transferred  by  will  or  sale  much  in 
the  same  way  as  if  the  holder  actually  owned  the  land."     He  says 
further,  "  Other  royal  property,  like  cattle  and  asses,  was  held  by  the 
people  of  both  classes,  subject,  like  the  lands,  to  an  annual  assess- 
ment for  its  use."     The  last  phrase  of  this  verse  is  only  a   variant 
on  the  preceding,  and  may  well  be  omitted,  as  it  is  by  the  Greek 
Version. 

346 


GENESIS  47  ;  30 

fifth;    only  °the  land  of  the  priests  alone  became  not 

27.  Pharaoh's.     And  Israel  dwelt  |  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  |   P 
in  the  land  of  Goshen ;  |  and  they  gat  them  possessions  J,  P 
therein,  and  were  fruitful,  and  multiplied  exceedingly. 

28.  And  Jacob  lived  in  the  land  of  Egypt  seventeen  years:   P 
so  the  days  of  Jacob,  the  years  of  his  life,  were  °an 

29.  hundred  forty  and  seven  years.  |  And  the  time  drew  J 
near  that  Israel  must  die :  and  he  called  his  son  Joseph, 
and  said  unto  him,  °If  now  I  have  found  grace  l  in  thy 
sight,  °put,  I  pray  thee,  thy  hand  under  my  thigh,2  and 
deal  kindly  and  °truly  with  me:    bury  me  not,  I  pray 

30.  thee,  in  Egypt :  but  °when  I  sleep  with  my  fathers,  thou 

1  SV  favor.      *  Syr.  adds,  and  I  will  cause  thee  to  swear  by  the  Lord. 

26.  The  land  of  the  priests  alone  became  not  Pharaoh's.  This 
exception  is  in  harmony  with  the  Egyptian  records.  "  The  temples 
had  lands  and  other  property  of  their  own,  but  these  estates  and  hold- 
ings were  not  registered  in  the  '  White  House  '  for  taxation."  This 
provision  enabled  the  priests  vastly  to  increase  their  wealth.  In  the 
reign  of  Rameses  III.  the  temples  of  the  country  had  107,000  slaves, 
750,000  acres  of  land,  500,000  large  and  small  cattle,  169  towns  in 
Egypt,  Kush,  and  Syria,  and  a  fleet  of  88  vessels,  all  exempt  from 
taxation. 

(6)    The  last  days  of  Jacob,  47  :  28-50  :  13 

Here  are  grouped  together  accounts  of  the  patriarch's  last  acts 
and  the  record  of  his  death  and  burial. 

(a)  A  last  request,  47  :  28-31.  Jacob,  finding  that  he  must  soon 
die,  calls  Joseph  and  secures  from  him  a  promise  that  he  will  not 
bury  him  in  Egypt,  but  in  a  place  of  his  own  choice.  The  first  verse 
is  from  the  Priestly,  the  rest  from  the  Judean,  narrative. 

28.  An  hundred   forty   and   seven  years.     Joseph  himself  at  this 
time,  according  to  the  same  authority,  was  near  the  end  of  his  life, 
being  no  less  than  ninety-four  years  of  age.     See  50  :  26. 

29.  If  now  I  have  found  grace  in  thy  sight.     The  attitude  of  the 
old  man  toward  his  distinguished  son   is  one  of  dignified  humility. 
Put  thy  hand  under  my  thigh.     See  24  :  2.     For  truly  a  better  ren- 
dering would  be  faithfully. 

30.  When  I  sleep  with  my  fathers.     In   15  :  15  going  to  one's 
fathers  might  be  interpreted  as  equivalent  to  being  buried ;    here  the 

347 


GENESIS 


shalt  carry  me  out  of  Egypt,  and  bury  me  in  01  their  * 

buryingplace.1     And  he2  said,  I  will  do  as  thou  hast 

31.   said.     And  he  said,  Swear  unto  me:  and  he  sware  unto 

him.     And    °Israel   bowed   himself   upon   the   bed's3 

head. 

E  48.       And  it  came  to  pass  after  these  °things,  that  one  said 

1  Vg.  the  sepulchre  of  my  ancestors.        *  Vg.  Syr.  Joseph.      3  Gr.  Syr.  staff's. 


two  are  clearly  distinguished  and  represented  as  occurring  at  dif- 
ferent times  and  places.  The  place  of  burial  is  called  their  burying- 
place, i.e.,  the  place  where  the  fathers  were  buried.  It  is  doubtful, 
however,  if  this  was  the  original  reading,  for  in  50  :  5  Joseph  says 
that  his  father  wished  to  be  buried  in  a  grave  that  he  himself  had 
digged.  This  statement  would  require  here  my  buryingplace,  which 
could  only  be  interpreted  as  referring  to  the  place  where  he  buried 
Rachel.  Another  suggestion  is  that  this  verse  was  once  preceded  by 
48  :  7,  and  that  the  reading  was  then  her  (Rachel's)  buryingplace. 
See,  however,  48  :  7.  The  change  from  my  (or  her)  was  made  to 
bring  this  passage  into  harmony  with  the  later  teaching,  that  all 
three  of  the  patriarchs  were  buried  at  Hebron.  See  49  :  29  ff. 

31.  In  Heb.  n  :  21,  where  this  passage  is  cited,  Jacob  is  described 
as  worshipping,  "  leaning  upon  the  top  of  his  staff,"  and  this  render- 
ing is  the  one  found  in  the  Greek,  Old  Latin,  and  Syriac  Versions ; 
but  it  is  clearly  mistaken,  since  in  48  :  2  and  49  :  33  the  Hebrew 
word  here  used,  which  by  a  change  in  the  pronunciation  may  mean 
either  staff  or  bed,  has  the  latter  meaning.  The  explanation  of  the 
statement  that  Israel  bowed  himself  upon  the  bed's  head  probably  is, 
that,  on  receiving  the  promise  just  made  him,  he  turned  on  the 
couch  on  which  he  was  sitting  and  prostrated  himself  toward  the 
head  of  it  to  give  thanks,  just  as  David  did  under  similar  circum- 
stances. See  i  Kgs.  i  :  47  ;  also  24  :  26,  52. 

(b)  The  sons  of  Joseph,  48  :  1-22.  Joseph,  hearing  that  his  father 
is  sick,  pays  him  a  visit,  taking  his  two  sons  with  him.  Jacob  re- 
calls the  promise  of  God  at  Bethel  and  formally  adopts  Ephraim 
and  Manasseh,  making  them  heirs  with  his  other  sons  to  the  promised 
blessing.  Then  he  embraces  and  blesses  them,  taking  pains,  in 
spite  of  Joseph's  protest,  to  lav  his  right  hand  on  Ephraim's  head 
and  his  left  on  Manasseh' s.  The  story  is  composite,  containing  an 
almost  complete  account  from  each  of  the  three  sources. 

i.  The  things  after  which  the  incident  here  narrated  is  dated  are 
probably  those  relating  to  the  migration  to  Egypt,  as  given  by  the 

348 


GENESIS  48  : 6 

to  Joseph,  Behold,  thy  father  is  sick :  and  °he  took  with 

2.  him  his  two  sons,  Manasseh  and  Ephraim.1     And  one 
told  Jacob,  and  said,  Behold,  thy  son  Joseph  cometh 
unto  thee:  |  and  °Israel  strengthened  himself,  and  sat   J 

3.  upon  the  bed.  |  And  Jacob  said  unto  Joseph,  2  God   P 
Almighty  2  appeared  unto  me  °at  Luz  in  the  land  of 

4.  Canaan,  and  blessed  me,  and  said  unto  me,  Behold,  I 
will  3  make  thee  fruitful,3  and  multiply  thee,  and  I  will 
make  of  thee  4  a  company  4  of  peoples ;    and  will  give 
5  this  land 5  to  thy  seed  after  thee  for  an  everlasting  pos- 

5.  session.     And  now  thy  two  sons,   which  °  were  born 
unto  thee  in  7  the  land  of  7  Egypt  before  I  came  unto 
thee  into  Egypt,8  are  mine;   °Ephraim  and  Manasseh, 

6.  even  as  Reuben  and  Simeon,  shall  be  mine.     And  °thy 
issue,  which  9  thou  begettest 10  after  them,  shall  be  thine; 
they  shall  be  °called  after  the  name  of  their  brethren  in 

1  Gr.  adds,  and  came  to  Jacob.  3  Gr.  my  God.  3  Syr.  bless  thee.  *  Gr.  Vg. 
companies,  s  Gr.  Vg.  to  them  this  land  and.  6  SV  who.  1  Gr.  mss.  om.  8  Syr. 
the  land  of  Egypt.  "  SV  that.  10  m.  hast  begotten. 

Ephraimite  author,  but  not  preserved  by  the  compiler.  He  took 
with  him  his  two  sons;  that  they  might  receive  the  old  man's  bless- 
ing. See  27  :  4  ff.  At  the  end  of  the  verse  the  Greek  Version  adds, 
and  came  to  Jacob,  which  is  really  required  to  complete  it. 

2.  The  Ephraimite  version  is  here  interrupted  by  a  fragment  from 
the  Judean,  in  which  the  recovery  of  Israel  —  the  name  is  significant 
—  from  his  prostrate  attitude  is  noted.     Israel  strengthened  himself, 
and  sat ;  sat  up  with  an  effort  in  preparation  for  the  scene  with  the 
boys,  the  description  of  which  begins  with  gb. 

3.  Before  the  Ephraimite  author  is  allowed  to  proceed  the  whole 
incident,   as  given  by  the  Priestly  writer,   is  interjected.     At  Luz. 
See  35  :  9  ff- 

5.  Ephraim  and  Manasseh.     Here,   as  in   the  parallel  accounts, 
Ephraim  is  placed  first,  but  here,  since  no  explanation  is  given,  the 
implication  is  that  he  is  the  elder.     See,  however,  46  :  18. 

6.  Thy  issue,  which  thou  begettest  after  them.     There  is  no  men- 
tion of  any  other  sons  of  Joseph.     Called  after  the  name  of  their 
brethren ;    reckoned  either  to  the  tribe  of  Ephraim  or  to  that  of 
Manasseh. 

349 


GENESIS 

R  7.  their  inheritance.  |  And  as  for  me,  when  I  came  from 
°Paddan,1  Rachel2  died  °3  by  me3  in  the  land  of 
Canaan  in  the  way,  4  when  there  was  still  some  way  4 
to  come  unto  Ephrath:  and  I  buried  her  there  in  the 

E     8.   way  5  to   Ephrath5   (the  same  is  Beth-lehem).  |  And 

°Israel  *   beheld  Joseph's  sons,   and    said,    °Who   are 

9.   these  6?     And  Joseph  said  unto  his  father,  They  are  my 

J  sons,  whom  God  hath  given  me  here.  And  he  7  said, 

Bring  them,  I  pray  thee,  unto  me,  and  I  will  bless  them. 

10.  Now  °the  eyes  of  Israel  were  dim  for  age,  so  that  he 
E          could  not  see.8  |  And  he  brought  them  near  unto  him; 

11.  and  he  kissed  them  and  embraced  them.     And  °Israel  * 
said  unto  Joseph,  °9 1  had  not  thought  to  see 9  thy  face : 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  add,  aram.  *  Sam.  Gr.  add,  thy  mother.  3  m.  to  my  sorrow; 
Gr.  Vg.  om.  •*  Gr.  as  I  drew  near  by  the  course  of  Chabratha  of  the  land;  Vg.  and 
it  was  spring  time;  Syr.  about  the  distance  of  a  parasang  of  land.  s  Gr.  of  the 
course.  6  Sam.  Gr.  add,  to  thee.  1  Gr.  Jacob.  8  Syr.  adds,  well.  9  Gr.  Vg.  (Lo) 
I  was  not  bereaved  of. 

7.  For  Paddan  read,   with  the  Samaritans  and   the  Greek  and 
Syriac  Versions,  Paddan-aram.     By  me.     Better,  as  in  the  margin, 
to  my  sorrow,  colloquial,  on  me.    On  the  remainder  of  the  verse  see 
35  :  1 6  ff.     The  reference  to  the  latter  passage  is  obvious,  but  there 
seems  to  be  no  reason  why  it  should  have  been  inserted  here ;  unless 
it  was  in  anticipation  of  49  =  28   ff.,   which  once  immediately,  or 
almost  immediately,  followed  this  passage. 

8.  The  statement  that  Israel  beheld  Joseph's  sons  palpably  con- 
tradicts loa,  where  the  patriarch  is  represented  as  nearly,  if  not 
quite,  blind.    The  explanation  is  that  this  passage,  although  it  has 
the  name  Israel,  is  from  the  Ephraimite,  while  loa  is  from  the  Ju- 
dean,   narrative.    This  verse  is  therefore  the  continuation  of   2a. 
Who  are  these?    or,  as  the  Samaritan  reading  might  be  rendered, 
Whom  hast  thou  here  ? 

9.  The  first  part  of  this  verse  is  the  reply  to  Jacob's  question ;  the 
rest  is  another  fragment  of  Judean  origin,  according  to  which  Jacob 
did  not  see  the  boys. 

10.  The  reason  is  given  :   the  eyes  of  Israel  were  dim  for  age.    The 
latter  half  of  the  verse  continues  9a. 

11.  Here,  again,  the  name  Jacob  seems  to  have  been  changed  to 
Israel.     I  had  not  thought  to  see  thy  face.     He  supposed  him  dead. 
See  37  :  33a. 

350 


GENESIS 


12.  and,  lo,  God  hath  let  me  see  thy  seed  also.     And  Joseph 
°brought  them  out  from  between  his  knees ;    and  1  he 

13.  °bowed  himself  !  with   his 2   face  to   the  earth.      And  j 
Joseph  took  3  them  both,3  °Ephraim  in  his  right  hand 
toward  Israel's  left  hand,  and  Manasseh  in  his  left  hand 
toward  Israel's  right  hand,  and  °brought  them  near  unto 

14.  him.     And  Israel  stretched  out  °his  right  hand,  and 
laid  it  upon  Ephraim's  head,  who  was  the  younger,  and 
his  left  hand  hand  upon  Manasseh's  head,  °guiding4 
his  hands  wittingly ;    °*5  for  Manasseh  was  the  first- 

15.  born.5f  |  °And    he6  blessed  Joseph,7  and   said,  °The  E 

1  Sam.  Gr.  Syr.  they  bowed  themselves;  Gr.  adds,  to  him;  Syr.  adds,  before  him. 
*  Gr.  Vg.  the;  Syr.  their.  3  Gr.  Syr.  his  two  sons;  Vg.  om.  +m.  Gr.  crossing; 
Vg.  Syr.  changing.  s  Gr.  om.  6  Vg.  Syr.  Jacob.  ?  Gr.  them;  Vg.  the  sons  of 
Joseph;  Syr.  Joseph  his  son. 

12.  Observe  that  Jacob  has  not  yet  blessed  the  boys.     Nor  does 
he  now;    because,  as  soon  as  he  has  finished  his  caresses,  Joseph 
brought  the  children  out  from  between  his  knees,  and,  taking  their 
place,  bowed  himself  to  receive  a  blessing. 

13.  Thus  far  the  Ephraimite  version.     For  the  continuation  of  it 
see  vs.  15  f.    The  compiler  now  returns  to  the  Judean  source.     In 
ga  Jacob  asked  Joseph  to  bring  the  boys  that  he  might  bless  them. 
This  verse  is  the  continuation  of  that  passage.     Ephraim  toward 
Israel's  left  hand  ;  because  he  was  the  younger.    On  the  significance 
of  the  right  hand,  see  i  Kgs.  2  :  19 ;    Ps.  45  :  10;    no  :  i.     Joseph 
would   give   it   to   his  firstborn.      Brought   them  near.      Compare 
lob  (E). 

14.  His  right  hand  .  .  .  upon  Ephraim's  head,  and  his  left  hand 
upon  Manasseh's  head ;   although  Ephraim,  the  younger,  was  on  his 
left,  and  Manasseh,  the  older,  was  on  his  right.    The  text  represents 
him  as  guiding  his  hands  wittingly ;   but  the  verb  employed  in  the 
original  seems  capable  of  being  rendered  cross.     Read,  therefore,  as 
in  the  margin,   with  the  Versions,   crossing  his  hands.    The  final 
clause,  for  Manasseh  was    the  firstborn,  which  is  wanting  in    the 
Greek  Version,  has  no  place  in  this  connection.     For  the  continua- 
tion of  the  Judean  story  see  v.  17. 

15  This  verse  is  the  continuation  of  v.  12.  It  therefore  properly 
begins,  And  he  blessed  Joseph,  for  it  was  Joseph  who  prostrated 
himself  before  Jacob  to  receive  this  blessing.  Jacob,  however,  does 
not  forget  that  the  sons  are  present,  and  that  in  blessing  their  father 


GENESIS 


God  before  whom  my  fathers  Abraham  and  Isaac  did 

walk,  °the  God  which *  hath  fed  °me  2  all  my  life  long 2 

1 6.   unto  this  day,  °the  angel 3  which  1  hath  redeemed  me 

from  all  evil,4  bless  °the 5  lads ;   and  °let  my  name  be 

named  on  them,  and  the  name  of  my  fathers*  Abraham 

and  Isaac ;  and  °let  them  6  grow  into  a  multitude  8  in 

J   17.   the  midst  of  the  earth.  |  And  when  Joseph  saw  that  his 

father  laid  his  right  hand  upon  the  head  of  Ephraim,  it 

displeased  him:    and  he  held  up  his  father's  hand,  °to 

remove  it  from  Ephraim's  head  unto  Manasseh's  head. 

1 8.   And  Joseph  said  unto  his  father,  Not  so,  my  father: 

for  this  is  the  firstborn;   put  thy  right  hand  upon  his 

1  SV  who.  *  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  from  my  youth.  3  Sam.  king .  *  Gr.  Vg.  plu. 
s  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  these.  6  Gr.  grow  into  a  great  multitude;  Syr.  increase  and  mul- 
tiply. 

he  is  also  blessing  them.  The  passage  consists  of  a  threefold  invo- 
cation and  a  threefold  benediction.  See  Num.  6  :  24  ff.  The 
Deity  is  invoked,  first,  as  The  God  before  whom  my  fathers  did  walk : 
the  unfailing  Guide  and  Protector  of  past  generations.  Secondly, 
he  is  the  God  which  hath  fed,  or,  in  the  figurative  language  of  the 
original,  tended,  as  a  shepherd  tends  his  sheep,  —  the  God  who  hath 
tended  me  all  my  life  long;  the  patriarch's  personal,  and  untiring, 
Benefactor. 

16.  Thirdly,  he  is  the  angel  which  hath  redeemed  me  from  all  evil. 
The  angel  of  God  is  here  God  manifest  in  a  sensible  form  as  the 
patriarch's  Deliverer.     The   blessing   is,   first  of  all,   general.     The 
object  of  it  is  the  lads.    This  is  unexpected,  but,  as  has  been  ex- 
plained, it  has  its  warrant  in  the  relation  of  the  lads  to  Joseph.   They 
are  blessed  through  him.     The  benediction  now  takes  a  more  definite 
form.     Let  my  name  be  named  on  them,  and  the  name  (names)  of 
my  fathers,  is  equivalent  to  the  adoption  of  the  boys  and  their  ad- 
mission to  a  share  in  the  promises  which  Jacob  has  inherited.    The 
meaning  and  effect  of  these  promises  appears  in  the  blessing  in  its 
final  form,  let  them  grow  into  a  multitude.     See  15  :  5,  etc. 

17.  This  verse  is  evidently  the  continuation  of  v.  14.     According 
to  the  author  (J),  the  blessing  has  not  yet  been  pronounced.     In- 
deed,   Joseph    has    seized    his  father's    hand,    to   remove    it   from 
Ephraim's  head,  and  thus  prevent  him  from  bestowing  the  proposed 
blessing. 

352 


GENESIS 

19.  head.     And  1  his  father  l  refused,  and  said,  °I  know  it, 
my  son,  I  know  it:  he  also  shall  become  a  people,  and 
he  also  shall  be  great:    howbeit  his  younger  brother 
shall  be  greater  than  he,  and  his  seed  shall  become  °a 

20.  multitude  of  nations.     And  he  blessed  them  that  day, 
saying,  °In 2  *  thee  3  shall 4  Israel  bless,5f  saying,  °God 
make  thee  as  Ephraim  and  as  Manasseh :    and  °he  set 

21.  Ephraim   before    Manasseh.  |  And  Israel*  said  unto  E 
Joseph,  Behold,  I  die:    but  God  shall4  be  with  you, 
and  bring  you  again  unto  the  land  of   your   fathers. 

22.  Moreover  I  have  given  to  thee  °one  6  portion  above  thy 
brethren,  which  I  took  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Amorite 
°*  with  my  sword  and  with  my  bow.f 

1  Gr.  Vg.  he,      *  m.  By.      3  Gr.  you.      *  SV  will.      *  Gr.  Vg.   Syr.   be  blessed. 
6  Gr.  a  choice. 

19.  I  know  it.    The  pronoun  inserted  by  the  translators  too  much 
restricts  the  sense.     It  is  not  so  much  the  fact  stated  by  Joseph  that 
Jacob  claims  to  know  as  what  he  himself  is  doing.     A  multitude  of 
nations  describes  Ephraim  at  the  height  of  his  power,  when  he  had 
given  his  name  to  the  kingdom  of  which  his  tribe  was  a  part. 

20.  This  verse  is  usually  referred  to  the  Ephraimite  source ;   but 
without  it  the  Judean   narrative  has  no  blessing.     See,   also,   the 
reference  to  v.  19  in  the  statement,  he  set  Ephraim  before  Manasseh. 
For  In  thee  shall  Israel  bless,  read,  In  you  shall  Israel  bless  themselves  ; 
the  first  change  being  supported  by  the  Greek  Version,  and  the  second 
being  demanded  by  the  explanatory  clause,  God  make  thee,  etc., 
and  favored  by  the  Versions.     See  12:3,  etc.    This  is  the  conclusion 
of  the  Judean  version. 

21.  The  remainder  of  the  chapter  is  from  the  Ephraimite  narrative. 

22.  One  portion.    The  Hebrew  word  rendered  portion  is  shekhem, 
lit.  shoulder,  or,  when  used  geographically,  ridge.      It  is  here  em- 
ployed in  allusion  to  Shechem,  which  was  on  the  saddle  between 
Ebal  and  Gerizim.     In  Josh.   24  :  32,  where  the  last  clause  should 
read,  "  and  gave  it  to  his  son  Joseph  as  an  inheritance,"  this  por- 
tion is  identified  with  "  the  parcel  of  ground  which  Jacob  bought  of 
the  sons  of  Hamor."     See  33  :  19.     Here,  however,  Jacob  boasts  of 
having  taken  it  with  my  sword  and  with  my  bow.     Yet  this  passage  is 
believed  to  have  come  from  the  same  source  (E)  as  the  other  two. 
The  only  way  out  of  the  difficulty  seems  to  be  to  suppose,  either  that 

2A  353 


GENESIS 


P,  J  49.  And  Jacob  called  unto  his  sons,  |  and  said :  Gather 
yourselves  together,  that  I  may  tell  you  that  which 
shall  befall  you  in  the  latter  days. 

2.  Assemble  yourselves,  and  hear,  ye  sons  of  Jacob; 
°And  **  hearken  2  unto  Israel *  your  father.* 

3.  Reuben,  thou  art  my  firstborn,   °my  might,  and 

°the  beginning 3  of  my  strength 4 ; 
°The  excellency5  of  dignity,  and  the  excellency5  of 
°power. 

4.  °Unstablea  as  water,  °7thou  shalt  not  have  the  ex- 

cellency 7 ; 

1  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  om.  2  Gr.  Vg.  Israel,  unto.  *  m.  firstfruils.  •*  Vg.  sorrow. 
s  SV  pre-eminence.  6  m.  bubbling  over;  SV  boiling  over.  '  m.  Jiave  not  thou,  etc.; 
SV  thou  .  .  .  pre-eminence;  Gr.  do  not  boil  over;  Vg.  Ihou  shalt  not  grow;  Syr. 
thou  shalt  not  abide. 

this  verse  represents  a  distinct  tradition,  or  that  these  last  words  are 
an  addition  to,  or  a  corruption  of,  the  original  text.  Some  slight 
changes  in  the  Hebrew  would  make  it  mean  choice  and  desirable. 

(c)  The  blessing  of  Jacob,  49  :  1-27.  The  patriarch  calls  the  roll 
of  his  sons,  noting  their  virtues  and  defects,  and  forecasting  their 
futures.  The  order  is  somewhat  irregular,  Zebulun  being  placed 
before  Issachar,  and  Dan  and  Naphtali,  the  sons  of  Bilhah,  being 
separated  by  the  two  sons  of  Zilpah.  The  source,  except  of  the 
first  few  words  of  the  introductory  statement,  is  the  Judean  narrative. 

2.  The  and  of  the  second  line  was  probably  borrowed  from  the  , 
first.     It  is  wanting  in  the  Versions. 

(a)  Reuben,  3  f.  The  patriarch  reminds  him  of  his  dignity  as 
the  firstborn  and  reproaches  him  for  his  unworthiness. 

3.  The  first  line,  as  above  printed,  should  be  divided  into  two,  as 
follows : 

Reuben,  thou  art  my  firstborn, 

My  might,  and  the  beginning  of  my  strength. 

The  verse  thus  becomes  a  strophe  of  three  lines  corresponding  to  the 
three  of  v.  4.  My  might,  i.e.,  as  is  explained,  the  beginning,  first 
product,  of  my  strength.  The  excellency  of  dignity ;  abounding,  or, 
to  borrow  an  adjective  from  SV,  preeminent,  in  dignity,  as  the  first- 
born and  the  natural  head  of  the  family.  He  abounded  also  in 
power  to  maintain  this  dignity,  if  the  power  had  been  rightly  directed. 

4.  SV  brings  out  the  force  of  the  figure  in  the  epithet  unstable, 

354 


GENESIS  49  :  5 

Because  thou  wentest  up  to  thy  father's  bed: 
Then  defiledst  thou  1  it:   he  went  up  to  my  couch.1 
5.  °Simeon  and  Levi  are  brethren; 

2  Weapons  of  ° violence  are  their  °s words.2 

1  Gr.  the  couch  where  thou  wentest  up;  Vg.  his  couch;  Syr.  my  couch,  and  wentest 
up.  '  m.  compacts;  their  swords  accomplish  •violence;  Gr.  they  accomplished  the 
injustice  of  their  device;  Vg.  instruments  of  iniquity  militant;  Syr.  vessels  of  wrath 
by  nature. 

but  a  better  rendering  would  be,  Lawless  as  boiling  -water.  The 
words  rendered  thou  shalt  not  have  the  excellency,  i.e.,  maintain  the 
rank  of  the  firstborn,  might  also  be  translated,  as  they  are  in  the 
Syriac  Version,  thou  shalt  not  abide.  In  the  original  there  is  an 
alliteration  which  is  partially  reproduced  in  the  likeness  between 
abound  and  abide.  The  tribe  of  Reuben  was  one  of  the  first  to  be- 
come settled  after  the  Exodus.  At  first  it  seems  to  have  prospered. 
See  i  Chr.  5  :  18  ff.  In  the  days  of  Deborah  (c.  noo  B.C.)  it  was  of 
sufficient  importance  to  be  sorely  missed  at  the  muster  against  Sisera. 
See  Jud.  5  :  15  f.  About  850  B.C.,  however,  it  had  become  so  weak 
that  Mesha  had  no  occasion  to  mention  it  on  the  Moabite  Stone. 
There  is  a  reference  to  it  in  the  Blessing  of  Moses,  but  of  a  kind  to 
indicate  that  it  was  then  (c.  800  B.C.)  in  danger  of  extinction.  See 
Dt.  33  :  6.  It  finally  became  merged  in  the  neighboring  tribe  of 
Gad.  See  the  Moabite  Stone,  i.  10.  The  offence  with  which  Reuben 
is  charged  is  recorded  in  35  :  22.  It  indicates  a  low  state  of  morality 
among  the  Reubenites.  For  another  story  the  scene  of  which  is  laid 
in  the  same  region,  see  Num.  25  :  i  ff.  The  change  of  person  in  the 
last  clause  is  disturbing.  The  Greek  reading,  then  defiledst  thou  the 
couch  where  thou  wentest  up,  is  preferable. 

(6)  Simeon  and  Levi,  5-7.  These  two,  because  they  gave  vent 
to  passion  and  committed  murder,  are  condemned  to  disintegration 
and  absorption  among  the  other  tribes. 

5.  The  rendering,  Simeon  and  Levi  are  brethren,  is  rather  tame. 
The  brethren  Simeon  and  Levi  would  more  clearly  indicate  that  the 
two  were  not  only  the  sons  of  one  mother  but  closely  related  in  char- 
acter. The  meaning  of  the  next  line  is  disputed.  It  is  objected  to 
the  English  rendering  that  one  could  hardly  expect  from  swords 
anything  but  violence.  The  Samaritans,  for  the  noun  meaning 
weapons,  have  the  closely  similar  verb  for  complete  or  accomplish. 
So,  also,  the  Greek  and  Old  Latin  Versions.  The  last  two  give  a 
different  sense  to  the  word  above  rendered  swords,  viz.,  device  or  in- 
vention. This  word,  however,  is  plural.  The  whole,  therefore, 
should  be  translated,  they  accomplished  the  violence  of  their  devices,  i.e., 
the  violence  they  had  planned ;  an  allusion  to  the  bloody  plot  against 

355 


49  :  6  GENESIS 


6.  O  my  soul,  come  not  thou  into  °their  council  * ; 
Unto 2  their  assembly,  3  my  °glory,3    °4  be  not  thou 

united  4 ; 

For  in  their  anger  they  slew  °5  a  man,5 
And  in  their  °self will  they  °6  houghed  an  ox.8 

7.  Cursed  be  their  anger,  for  it  was  fierce; 
And  °their  wrath,  for  it  was  cruel: 

°I  will  divide  them  in  Jacob, 
And  scatter  them  in  Israel. 


1  m.  secret.  *  Heb.  mss.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  And  unto.  J  Gr.  my  liver;  Syr.  from  my 
glory.  4  Gr.  strive  not;  Vg.  be  not;  Syr.  have  I  not  descended.  sm.  Gr.  Syr. 
men.  6  m.  houghed  oxen;  SV  hocked  an  ox;  Vg.  Syr.  Tar.  overthrew  a  -wall. 


Shechem  for  kidnapping  their  sister  Dinah.     See  34  :  26.    The  Tar- 
gum  substitutes  praise  for  blame,  reading  the  whole  couplet  : 

The  brothers  Simeon  and  Levi  are  mighty  men  ; 
In  the  land  of  their  sojourn  they  wrought  mightily. 

6.  The  rendering  just  given  to  50  is  in  harmony  with  what  now 
follows.     Their  council;    their  secret  conclave  or  conference.     See 
Ps.  64  :  2)3.    To  the  second  line  there  should  be  prefixed  the  con- 
nective and.     See  the  variants.     Glory  is  here  a  synonym  for  the 
soul  of  the  preceding  line.     In  Ps.  16  :  9  it  is  used  in  the  same  way 
with  heart.     It  emphasizes  the   superiority  of  the  inner  over  the 
outer  man.     Be  not  united;  join  not  thyself.     A  man;  Shechem  the 
son  of  Hamor.     Selfwill;    lit.  pleasure;    in  this  case  reckless  pleas- 
ure, lawlessness.     Houghed  an  ox,  or  oxen;   a  brutal  method  of  in- 
juring an  enemy,  for  which  Josh.  1  1  :  6  ff  .  (  J)  claims  the  divine  ap- 
proval.   There  is  no  reference  in  chapter  34  to  this  latter  act,  but  it  is 
not  inconsistent  with  the  Judean  version  of  the  story.     According  to 
the  parallel  account  the  sons  of  Jacob  drove  away  all  the  cattle  of 
the  Shechemites.    The  Versions,  by  giving  a  slightly  different  pronun- 
ciation to  the  word  for  ox,  get  overthrew  a  wall. 

7.  In  34  :  29  f.  Jacob   is  reported   to  have  condemned  the  whole 
affair  when  it  occurred.    He  recalls  it  now  with  even  stronger  repre- 
hension.    Their    wrath.     Better,  fury,    uncontrolled    passion.    The 
Samaritans  have  a  text  in  which,  by  a  slight  change  in  only  three 
letters,  Jacob  is  made  (inconsistently)  to  say  : 

Noble  was  their  wrath,  for  it  was  strong, 
And  their  blow,  for  it  was  severe. 
356 


GENESIS  49  :  8 

8.  °Judah,  °thee  shall  thy  brethren  praise: 

Thy  hand  shall  be  on  the  neck  of  thine  enemies; 


The  sentence,  I  will  divide  .  .  .  scatter  them,  in  which  Jacob  gives 
to  his  own  words  the  force  of  a  divine  decree,  was  literally  fulfilled. 
The  tribe  of  Simeon  was  one  of  the  first  to  attempt  to  establish  itself 
in  Western  Palestine.  The  Simeonites  invaded  the  southern  part  of 
the  country  with  the  Judahites,  and  the  invasion  was  successful, 
Judah  gaining  possession  of  the  highlands  and  afterward  helping 
Simeon  to  conquer  the  South.  See  Jud.  i  :  3,  17,  19.  The  depen- 
dence of  Simeon  on  Judah  was  so  complete  that  the  two  soon  became 
practically  one  tribe.  In  Josh.  15  :  26  ff.  and  19  :  2  ff.  the  same 
towns  are  located  in  both  tribes.  Indeed,  in  19  :  i  it  is  admitted 
that  the  inheritance  of  Simeon  is  "  in  the  midst  of  the  inheritance  of 
the  children  of  Judah."  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  this  tribe 
is  absent,  not  only,  like  Judah,  from  the  Song  of  Deborah,  but  also 
from  the  Blessing  of  Moses.  The  Chronicler  has  preserved  a  con- 
fused account  of  further  conquest  by  the  Simeonites,  but  the  incident 
described  was  a  mere  raid  without  serious  significance.  See  i  Chr. 
4  :  39  ff.  The  tribe  of  Levi  never  had  any  collective  home  in  Pales- 
tine. Nor  is  there  any  hint  that  they  ever  attempted  to  secure  one, 
unless  it  be  found  here  or  in  the  story  of  Dinah.  Indeed,  the  later 
books  teach  that  from  the  first  they  were  denied  an  inheritance  such 
as  was  assigned  to  the  other  tribes,  Yahweh  himself  being  their  in- 
heritance. See  Num.  18  :  20,  etc.  Yet,  according  to  this  passage, 
they  were  a  tribe  or  family  in  as  real  a  sense  as  any  of  the  others 
from  the  beginning.  Then  they  were  scattered.  When  this  bless- 
ing was  written  they  had  not  yet  been  reunited,  or  endowed  with  the 
functions  of  the  priesthood,  as  they  evidently  were  at  the  date  of  the 
Blessing  of  Moses.  See  Dt.  33  :  8  ff.  It  is  probable  that,  when  the 
Hebrews  entered  the  country,  Simeon  and  Levi  were  more  closely 
associated  with  each  other  than  with  any  of  the  other  tribes,  and 
that  they  settled  near  Shechem  and  for  a  time  lived  at  peace  with 
the  Canaanites.  Finally,  however,  they  undertook  treacherously  to 
get  possession  of  the  neighboring  city,  but  were  foiled,  and  Simeon 
was  greatly  reduced  in  numbers,  while  Levi,  as  a  tribe,  was  for  the 
time  being  destroyed.  Later  Judah  took  Simeon  under  its  protec- 
tion, but  the  remnant  of  Levi  was  more  widely  dispersed.  Thus 
there  came  to  be  Levites  of  Judah,  Levites  of  Ephraim,  etc.  See 
Jud.  17:7;  19  :  i.  On  the  revival  of  the  tribe  as  a  sacerdotal  caste, 
see  the  Bible  Dictionaries.  Israel  is  here  used  in  a  national,  not  a 
personal,  sense. 

(c)    Judah,   8-12.     The  tribe  is  promised  the  preeminence  that 
Reuben  has  lost,  and  neither  Simeon  nor  Levi  can  attain,  also  power 

357 


49  :  9  GENESIS 

Thy  father's  sons  shall  bow  down  before  thee. 
9.       Judah  is  a  °lion's  whelp; 

From  the  prey,  my  son,  °thou  art  gone  up : 
He  stooped  down,  he  couched  as  a  lion, 
°And  as  a  lioness ;    °who  l  shall  rouse  him  up  ?  | 
R   10.       °2 The  sceptre2  shall  not  depart  from  Judah, 

1  Syr.  and  who.      *  Gr.  Tar.  a  ruler. 

to  master  its  enemies,  lasting  authority  over  the  remaining  tribes,  and 
boundless  prosperity. 

8.  In  29  :  35  the  name  Judah  was  explained  by  the  outburst  of  Leah, 
"This  time  will  I  praise  Yahweh."     Here  the  Hebrew  word  meaning 
thee  shall  thy  brethren  praise,  yodhukha,  is  another  play  upon  this 
name.    The  key  to  the  meaning  of  the  second  line  is  found  in  Jud. 
16  :  12.    The  intent  of  the  author  would  be  more  apparent  if  the  line 
were  translated,  Thou  shall  seize  thy  enemies  by  the  neck;   get  the 
mastery  of  them  and  hold  them  in  subjection.    On  the  third  line  see 
37  :  6  ff.,  where  a  later  writer  (E)  transfers  to  Joseph  the  honor  here 
conferred  upon  Judah. 

9.  The  comparison  of  a  man  of  extraordinary  fierceness  or  courage 
with  a  lion  is  a  natural  one  in  a  country  where  lions  are  known  and 
feared.     See  Num.  23  :  24 ;  2  Sam.  i  :  23  ;  etc.    In  Dt.  33  :  22  Dan  is 
the  lion's  whelp.     Thou  art  gone  up.    The  change  from  the  third  to 
the  second  person,  and  back  again,  is  a  little  disturbing  to  the  Western 
ear,  but  not  to  the  oriental  in  poetry.     See  Jud.  5  :  16  f.    The  lion 
goes  up  from  a  raid  upon  a  flock  or  herd  in  the  plain  to  his  home  in 
the  hills.     He  is  now  in  his  lair.    The  next  line,  therefore,  should  read, 

He  hath  crouched,  lain  down,  like  a  lion. 

Applied  to  Judah,  this  means  that  the  tribe  has  attained  to  leader- 
ship among  the  Hebrews  and  mastery  over  the  neighboring  peoples, 
as  it  did  under  David.     And  as  a  lioness.     The  English  idiom  requires 
»  or  instead  of  and.     Who  shall  rouse  him  up  ?     Better,  Who  will  stir 

him  up  ?  Who  will  beard  a  conqueror  in  his  stronghold  ?  See  2  Sam. 
7:1.  Similar  language  is  used  of  Israel  as  a  whole  in  Num.  23  :  24  ; 
24  :  9. 

10.  The  sceptre ;    strictly,  the  rod,  as  a  sign  of  authority,  whether 
royal  or  other.     See  Num.  21  :  18 ;    Jud.  5  :  14.    The  phrase  from 
between  his  feet  is  supposed  to  refer  to  the  custom  among  leaders  of 
holding  their  staves  upright  before  them.    The  Samaritan  reading 
standards  is  due  to  the  likeness  in  Hebrew  between  r  and  d,  which 

353 


GENESIS  49  :  10 

Nor  1  the  ruler's  staff l  °from  2  between  his  feet,2 

°Until  3Shiloh  come3; 

And  unto  him  shall  the  obedience 4  of  the  peoples  be.  | 


1  m.  a  lawgiver;  Gr.  Vg.  a  leader;  Syr.  Tar.  an  interpreter.  *  Sam.  between 
his  standards;  Gr.  his  loins;  Vg.  his  loin.  *  m.  he  come  to  Shiloh;  m.  Gr.  that 
•which  is  his  shall  come;  Vg.  he  who  is  to  be  sent  come;  Syr.  he  whose  it  is  come. 
*  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  expectation. 

are  often  mistaken  for  each  other.  See  10  :  4.  The  third  line  has 
been  variously  translated  and  interpreted.  See  the  variants.  The 
rendering  Until  Shiloh  come  is  unsatisfactory,  since  Shiloh  can  only 
be  a  name  for  the  Messiah,  and  as  such  there  is  no  explanation  for  it. 
Until  he  come  to  Shiloh,  also,  is  meaningless.  In  Until  that  which 
is  his,  or,  he  whose  it  is,  shall  come,  the  sense  is  incomplete.  The 
most  natural  and  satisfactory  solution  of  this  long-disputed  question 
is  to  suppose  that  the  original  reading  was,  literally, 

Until  he  come, 

Which  to  him  the  obedience  of  the  peoples. 

Now  the  Hebrew  for  which  to  him  is  Dasher  lo,  but  if  the  first  two  letters 
of  the  first  word  were  effaced,  the  rest  would  look  very  much  like 
welo,  and  to  him,  the  phrase  with  which  the  next  line  now  begins. 
And  to  him,  however,  in  this  connection,  could  only  mean  the  same  as 
which  to  him,  viz.,  to  whom.  It  is  probable,  therefore,  that  a  reader, 
knowing  this,  wrote  which  to  him  in  the  margin,  using  the  later  form 
shello,  and  a  scribe  afterward  in  copying  the  passage  put  this  marginal 
gloss  into  the  text,  where,  because  it  was  unintelligible,  it  was  easily  cor- 
rupted into  something  that  made  better  sense.  It  is  at  once  clear  that 
this  emendation  does  not  destroy  the  Messianic  character  of  the  pas- 
sage. It  really  makes  this  interpretation  of  it  more  evident,  for  he  whom 
the  peoples  are  to  obey  can  be  no  other  than  he  of  whom  Zechariah  says, 
"  He  shall  speak  peace  unto  the  nations."  See  Zech.  9  :  10.  The  intro- 
duction of  the  passage  at  this  point  was  perhaps  suggested  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  ass  in  the  next  verse,  this  being  the  animal  on  which, 
according  to  Zech.  9  :  9,  the  Messiah,  when  he  comes,  will  be  mounted. 
If,  however,  this  verse  is  Messianic,  it  belongs,  not  to  the  early  period 
in  which  the  main  body  of  the  blessing  had  its  origin,  but  to  the  later 
one  in  which  the  Jews  through  the  growing  darkness  that  shrouded 
the  actual  kingdom  saw  an  ideal  successor  of  David  to  the  increase 
of  whose  government  there  should  be  no  end.  See  Is.  9  :  7] 6.  The 
expression  Until  he  come,  then,  does  not  imply  that,  with  the  coming 
of  the  Messiah,  the  supremacy  of  Judah  will  cease,  but  that  at  that 
time  this  supremacy  will  be  forever  established. 

359 


GENESIS 

J    ii.       °Binding  his  foal  unto  the  vine, 

And  *  his  ass's  colt *  unto  °the  choice  vine ; 
He  hath  washed  °his  garments  in  wine, 
And  his  vesture  in  the  blood  of  grapes: 

12.  His  eyes  shall  be  02red  with2  wine, 
And  his  teeth  °3  white  with  3  milk. 

13.  Zebulun  shall  dwell  °at  the  haven  4  of  the  sea: 
And  he  shall  be  for5  an  °haven  of  ships; 

And  his  °border  shall  be  °upon6*  Zidon.7 

14.  Issachar  8is  °a  strong  ass,8 

1  Vg.  his  ass,  my  son.  *  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  brighter  than.  3  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  whiter 
than.  *  Gr.  shore;  Syr.  shores^.  s  Gr.  Vg.  at.  6  m.  by;  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  Syr. 
unto.  t  SV  Sidon.  8  Gr.  desired  that  which  was  good;  Syr.  is  a  gigantic  man. 

11.  The  blessing  now  proceeds  with  all  the  freshness,  vigor,  and 
picturesqueness  of  vs.  8  f.    The  picture  presented  is  one  of  riotous 
luxuriance.     So  strong  will  be  the  vine  that  the  Judahite,  not  the 
Messiah,  riding  his  ass,  as  did  the  early  Hebrews,  great  and  small 
(Jud.  5  :  10 ;   i  Sam.  25  :  20 ;   2  Sam.  16:2;  etc.),  will  have  no  hesi- 
tation in  binding  his  foal  to  one,  and  so  common  will  be  the  better 
sort  that  he  will  not  need  to  spare  the  choice  vine.    Moreover,  so 
abundant  will  be  the  fruit  from  these  vines  that  he  may  —  the  verb 
is  perfect  in  form,  but  future  in  significance  —  wash  his  garments 
in  wine.     For  similar  instances  of  hyperbole  see  Am.  9:13;  Jb.  29  :  6. 

12.  For  red  read  dark;  clouded  as  a  result  of  indulgence.     White 
with  milk  ;  the  milk  that  he  drinks.    The  territory  of  Judah  was  rich 
in  pasturage,  especially  toward  the  south.     See  18  :  8  ;   also  Ex.  3  :  8. 

(d)  Zebulun,  13.    This  tribe  is  located,  but  not  characterized. 

13.  At  the  haven  of  the  sea.     Better  here,  on  the  shore  of  the  sea, 
as  in  the  Greek  and  Syriac  Versions.    The  sea  is  the  Mediterranean. 
See  also  Dt.  33  :  18.    These  passages  show  that,  although,  according 
to  Josh.  19  :  10  ff.,  the  territory  of  this  tribe  does  not  reach  the  sea, 
in  earlier  times  it  had  an  outlet  on  the  coast  north  of  Carmel.     It  was 
this  border,  strictly,  further  side,  that  was  to  be,  not  upon,  but,  on  the 
authority  of  the  Samaritans  and  the  Versions,  as  far  as  Zidon,  i.e., 
Phoenicia.      In  the  second  line  the  rendering  haven  is  more  appro- 
priate than  in  the  first. 

(e)  Issachar,  14  f.    This  tribe  is  characterized  as  fond  of  peace  and 
plenty,  and  devoid  of  political  ambition. 

14.  A  strong,  lit.  bony,  ass  ;    built  for  labor  and  endurance.     For 
sheepfolds  read  here,  as  in  Jud.  5  :   16,  ash-heaps,  viz.,  of  the  vil- 
lages of  the  tribe  of  Issachar. 

360 


GENESIS 


Couching  down  between  the  °sheepfolds: 

15.  And  °he  saw  Ola  resting  place  1  that  it  was  good, 
And  °the2  land  that  it  was  pleasant; 

And  °he  bowed  his  shoulder  to  bear, 
°And  became  °3a  servant  under  taskwork.3 

16.  Dan  shall  °judge  °his  people, 
As  °one  of  the  tribes  of  Israel. 

17.  Dan  shall  be  °a  serpent  in  the  way, 

1  m.  rest;   Syr.  his  abode.      *  Syr.  his.      3  Gr.  a  husbandman;  Syr.  tributary. 

15.  He  saw.     Here,  again,  since  the  blessing  is  a  prophecy,  the 
time  is  really  future,  and  when  he  sees  would  more  nearly  express 
the  thought  of  the  author.    The  rest  of  the  verse  must,  of  course, 
conform  to  this  point  of  view.      A  resting  place  ;  a  place  where  he 
has  settled.      A  resting  place  that  it  was  good  is  a  Hebrew  idiom 
for  which  the  English  would  here  be  that  a  resting  place  is  good. 
The  next  line  also  should  have  the  same  form.     The  land  occupied 
by  Issachar  was  the  hilly  country  east  and  southeast  of  the   Plain 
of  Esdraelon.     In  Dt.  33  :  18  f.  Issachar  and  Zebulun  are  coupled 
together  as  profiting   by  the  rich  traffic  between  the  East  and  the 
Mediterranean.     He  bowed ;  will  bow.     And  became ;  will  become. 
A  servant  under  taskwork.     Better,  a  toiling  levy,  like  that  which 
Solomon  raised  among  the  native  tribes  of  Palestine.      See  i  Kgs. 
9  :  21.    The   terms   here   used   do    not  imply  that  Issachar  was  in 
bondage  when  this  passage  was  written,  but  that  the  author,  and  prob- 
ably the  Hebrews  generally,  regarded  agriculture  as  a  burdensome 
occupation.    This  view  is  best  represented  by  the  Rechabites.     See 
Jer.  35  :  °  *• 

(/)   Dan,  1 6-1 8.    The  tribe  is   commended  for  service  rendered 
Israel ;  also  for  its  stealthy  methods. 

16.  The  verb  judge  (yadhin),  in  which  there  is  a  play  upon  the  name 
Dan,  is  here  used  in  the  sense  of  avenge  or  vindicate.     His  people 
are  the  Hebrews  in  general.    The  author  probably  had  Samson,  who 
was  a  Danite,  in  mind.     His  exploits  would,  for  the  time  being,  make 
Dan  as  prominent  as  any  one  of  the  tribes  of  Israel. 

17.  The  methods  of  Dan  are  adapted  to  its  circumstances.     If  it 
were  a  large,  strong  tribe,  it  might  meet  its  enemies  openly.      Being 
small  and  weak,  it  must  imitate  a  serpent  in  the  way.     The  adder, 
or.  horned  snake,  is  the  Cerastes  Hasselquistii,  a  venomous  reptile  of 
the  desert  that  hides  in  ruts  and  holes  and  attacks  passers  from  them. 
The  result  is  disastrous  both  to  the  horse  and  his  rider.      Perhaps 

361 


GENESIS 


*An  °adder  1  in  the  path, 

That  biteth  the  horse's  heels, 

So  that  °his  rider  falleth 2  backward.  | 
R   18.       I  have  waited  for  thy  salvation,  O  LORD.  | 
J   19.  Gad,  °3a  troop  shall  press  upon  him3: 

But  he  shall  °4  press  upon  their  heel.4 
20.  °*5Out  of  5f  Asher  °his  bread6  shall  be  °fat, 

And  he  shall  °yield  royal  dainties. 

1  m.  a  horned  snake;  Gr.  lying  in  wait.  »  Syr.  he  throweth.  3  Vg.  an  armed 
man  shall  fight  before  him ;  Syr.  with  a  multitude  shall  he  go  forth.  •*  Vg.  be  pro- 
tected behind;  Syr.  cut  off  the  heel.  s  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  om.  6  Syr.  land. 

the  writer  had  in  mind  the  method  by  which  six  hundred  Danites 
obtained  possession  of  the  city  Laish,  that  afterward  bore  their  name. 
See  Jud.  18  :  n  ff. 

1 8.  The  verse  is  an  interpolation  by  a  pious  scribe  who  would  have 
welcomed  another  Samson. 

(g)  Gad,  19.  A  glimpse  of  border  warfare.  It  is  impossible  in 
English  to  reproduce  the  play  upon  the  name  Gad  that  runs  through 
the  verse,  the  Hebrew  being, 

Gadh  gedhudh  yeghudhennu,  Wehu'  yaghudh  'akebh. 

A  troop  shall  press  upon  him ;  raiders  from  Moab  and  Ammon.  Press 
upon  their  heel ;  follow  them  as  they  retire  and  punish  them.  In  the 
Hebrew  the  letter  (m)  which  should  represent  the  pronoun  their  is 
wanting,  because  it  has  been  transferred  to  the  beginning  of  the  next 
verse,  where  it  now  does  duty  as  the  preposition  rendered  out  of. 
The  tribe  of  Gad  received  its  allotment  east  of  the  Jordan,  where  it 
and  Reuben  sustained  about  the  same  relation  as  that  between  Judah 
and  Simeon.  They  are  almost  surrounded  by  enemies.  See  the  story 
of  Jephthah,  Jud.  n  f.  Still,  on  the  testimony  of  Mesha,  king  of 
Moab,  they  had  maintained  their  footing  in  the  country  until  his  day, 
about  850  B.C.  He  says,  "The  men  of  Gad  had  dwelt  in  Ataroth," 
occupied  the  country  as  far  south  as  the  Arnon,  "  from  of  old."  He 
himself  did  not  make  any  lasting  conquests  within  their  borders,  for, 
when  Jeroboam  II.  came  to  the  throne,  he  restored  the  limits  of  his 
kingdom,  of  which  Gad  was  a  part,  in  that  direction.  See  2  Kgs. 
14  :  25 ;  Am.  6:14.  Later  still  they  overthrew  the  house  of  Mena- 
hem  and  put  Pekah  on  the  throne  of  Israel.  See  2  Kgs.  15  :  25.  On 
the  standing  and  importance  of  the  Gadites  about  800  B.C.,  see  Dt.  33  : 
20  f.  It  was  Tiglath-pileser  III.,  king  of  Assyria,  says  i  Chr.  5  :  26, 
who  finally  subdued  and  deported  them. 

(h)   Asher,  20.    The  tribe  is  congratulated  on  the  richness  of  its 
362 


GENESIS 

21.  Naphtali  is  a  °hind  Met  loose: 
He 2  giveth  3  goodly  °words.3 

22.  Joseph  is  °a  4  fruitful  bough,4 

A  fruitful  bough4  °5by  a  fountain  5; 
06  His  branches  run 8  7  over  the  wall 7 : 

1  Gr. /of,"  Syr.  messenger.  » Gr.  Vg.  And  he.  3  Gr.  in  the  product  beauty. 
*  Gr.  Syr.  grown  son;  Vg.  growing  son.  s  Gr.  enviable;  Vg.  comely  in  appear- 
ance; Syr.  a  fountain  hath  gone  up.  6  Gr.  wy  youngest  son;  a  strong  structure. 
•>  Gr.  to  me;  Syr.  //ta<  went  up  in  the  wall. 

inheritance.  As  above  stated,  the  words  out  of  represent  a  supposed 
preposition  which  is  really  the  suffixed  pronoun,  meaning  their, 
wanting  at  the  end  of  v.  19.  This  verse,  therefore,  should  begin,  as 
it  does  in  the  Versions,  with  the  name  of  the  tribe.  His  bread ;  the 
foodstuffs  of  his  soil.  They  will  be  fat ;  rich  and  abundant.  Yield 
royal  dainties ;  furnish  products  fit  for  the  tables  of  kings.  See  i  Kgs. 
5  :  9,  ii ;  Acts  12  :  20.  The  boundary  of  Asher  cannot  be  traced  with 
any  confidence.  According  to  Josh.  17  :  n  and  Jud.  5  :  17,  its  ter- 
ritory touched  the  sea  on  one  or  both  sides  of  Carmel,  but  there  is 
here  no  indication  to  that  effect.  It  certainly  embraced  western 
Galilee,  then,  as  now,  one  of  the  most  fruitful  and  attractive  parts  of 
Palestine. 

(i)  Naphtali,  21.  It  is  the  natural  beauty  of  the  territory  of  this  tribe 
that  is  praised.  The  word  rendered  hind  can  also,  by  a  slight  change 
in  pronunciation,  be  translated  terebinth;  and  this  rendering  is  neces- 
sary to  make  anything  of  the  second  line,  where  words  should  give 
place  to  tops,  viz.,  of  trees.  Thus,  the  whole  couplet  becomes, 

Naphtali  is  a  slender  terebinth, 
That  produceth  goodly  boughs  (tops). 

The  first  line  perhaps  contains  an  allusion  to  the  long,  narrow  shape 
of  the  territory  assigned  to  this  tribe,  along  the  upper  Jordan  and  the 
lakes  through  which  it  flows,  the  second  to  the  stately  trees  with  which 
much  of  this  territory  was  covered. 

(;)  Joseph,  22-26.  The  tribe  is  commended  for  its  steadfastness 
and  promised  the  richest  of  blessings  from  the  Almighty. 

22.  A  fruitful  bough;  a  branch  of  a  fruitful  vine.  See  Is.  32  :  12. 
By  a  fountain;  where  it  never  lacks  moisture.  His  branches,  lit. 
daughters,  run  over  the  wall;  burst  all  bounds  in  their  luxuriance. 
This  is  the  most  that  can  be  made  of  the  received  text.  The  Versions 
differ  from  it  and  from  one  another,  but  neither  of  them  is  as  satisfactory 
as  the  above,  for  which  there  is  pretty  strong  support  in  the  resem- 
blance between  the  Hebrew  word  rendered  a  fruitful  bough  (porath) 
and  the  names  Ephrath  and  Ephraim.  The  most  serious  objection  to 

363 


GENESIS 


23.  The  archers1  have  sorely  grieved  him, 
And  2  shot  at 2  him,  and  persecuted  him : 

24.  But  °*3his  bow  abode3!  m  strength, 

And  the  *  arms 4  of 5  his  hands  were  6  made  strong,flf 
°By  the  hands  of  the  Mighty  One  of  Jacob, 
(7From  thence  is7  8the  shepherd,  *the  Ostone8fof 
Israel,) 

1  Syr.  captains  of  troops.  *  Sam.  Gr.  Vg.  strive  with;  Syr.  multiplied.  3  Gr. 
their  bows  were  broken;  Syr.  thou  overthrewest  his  bow.  *  Gr.  sinews  of  the 
arms;  Vg.  bonds  of  tlte  arms.  s  Vg.  and.  6  m.  made  active;  Gr.  Vg.  loosed; 
Syr.  scattered.  1  m.  From  hence,  from,  or  By  the  name  of;  Syr.  And  from  the  name. 
8  Gr.  the  conqueror;  Syr.  the  shepherd  of  the  stone. 

it  is  the  fact  that  the  figure  is  not  carried  out,  as  one  would  expect, 
in  the  next  verse.  The  transition,  from  one  of  these  verses  to  the  other, 
however,  is  not  more  abrupt  than  that  from  v.  9  to  v.  1 1. 

23.  Having  pictured  the  fertility  of  territory  occupied  by  the  de- 
scendants of  Joseph  in  the  very  heart  of  Palestine,   Jacob  now    de- 
scribes the  fortunes  of  its  future  inhabitants,  the  tribes  of  Ephraim 
and  Manasseh.    The  translators  have  taken  unusual  liberty  with  the 
arrangement.    The  following  is  a  more  exact  translation : 

And  they  shot  at  him  cruelly, 

And  the  archers  vented  their  hatred  upon  him: 

or,  to  give  it  a  form  more  intelligible  to  the  English  reader : 

But  they  -will  shoot  at  him  cruelly, 

Yea,  the  archers  will  vent  their  hatred  upon  him. 

In  other  words,  the  children  of  Joseph,  though  fortunate  in  their  in- 
heritance, will  be  beset  by  the  bitterest  of  enemies. 

24.  His  bow  abode  in  strength ;  his  means  of  defence  will  be  ample. 
This  on  the  supposition  that  the  text  is  correct;   which  is  doubtful, 
since  what  is  required  here  is  a  statement,  not  about  Joseph's  bow, 
but  about  the  bows  of  his  enemies,  as  in  the  Greek  Version,  which 
has,  their  bows  by  might  were  broken.     So,  also,  in  the  next  line,  it 
would  be  better  to  read,  with  the  Syriac  Version,  the  arms  of  his 
(their)  hands  were  scattered,  or  the  sinews  of  their  hands  were  benumbed. 
The  first  two  changes' require  the  insertion  in  the  first  word  of  each  line 
of  a  single,  and  that  the  same,  Hebrew  letter.    The  connection  with 
the  rest  of  the  verse  is  clear,  however  these  first  two  lines  be  trans- 
lated.   The  arms  of  Joseph  will  be  made  strong,  or  those  of  his  enemies 

364 


GENESIS 


25.  °Even  by  the  God  of  thy  father,  who  °shall  help  thee, 
°And  *1  by  the  Almighty/f  who  shall  bless  thee, 
With  °blessings 2  of  heaven  above, 

°Blessings 2  of  the  deep  *°that  coucheth  f  beneath, 
Blessings  2  of  °the  breasts,  and  of  the  womb. 

26.  The  blessings  of  thy  father 3 

Have 4  prevailed  above  the  °blessings  of  0!i{5  my  pro- 
genitors 5 

1  Sam.  Syr.  God  Almighty;  Gr.  my  God.       *  Gr.  Syr.  sing.      3  Sam.   Gr.   add 
and  thy  mother.       •*  Gr.  He  hath.      s  Gr.  the  changeless  mountains. 

broken,  by  the  hands  of  the  Mighty  One  of  Jacob.  Thus  far  all  is 
plain,  but  the  last  line  is  obscure,  in  fact  unintelligible.  It  can,  how- 
ever, easily  be  emended,  for  it  is  evident  that  a  Hebrew  scribe  has  sub- 
stituted the  word  rendered  thence  for  one  with  the  same  consonants 
meaning  name,  and  the  one  rendered  stone  for  a  very  similar  one 
meaning  his  father.  When  the  original  words  are  restored  the  result 
is 

By  the  name  of  the  shepherd  of  his  father  Israel, 

a  close  parallel  to  the  preceding  line.  It  is  probable,  however,  that 
the  words  his  father,  for  which  there  is  no  equivalent  in  the  Greek 
Version,  are  a  gloss  intended  to  explain  the  name  Israel,  and  should 
be  omitted.  Perhaps  it  was  suggested  by  48  :  15,  where  Jacob  calls 
Yahweh  "  the  God  who  hath  shepherded  me  all  my  life  long." 

25.  The  word  Even,  which  has  no  equivalent  in  the  Hebrew,  is 
wanting  also  in  the  Versions.    The  translators  are  usually  careful  not 
to  employ  shall  with  the  Deity  for  a  subject,  but  here  they  seem  tp 
have  made  an  exception  or  forgotten   consistency.      See  also  SV. 
In  the  second  line  for  And  by  the  Almighty  read,  with  the  Samaritans 
and  the  Syriac  Version,  And  God  Almighty,  which  requires  a  change 
in  but  a  single  Hebrew  letter.     The  blessings  of  heaven,  according  to 
the  Jews,  are  the  dew  and  the  rain,  as  appears  from  Dt.  33  :  13,  where 
a  scribe  mistook  from  above  for  from  the  dew.    The  blessings  of  the 
deep  are  the  springs  and  streams,  which,  according  to  the  Hebrews, 
are  supplied  from  vast  reservoirs  of  water  under  the  earth.     See  7:11; 
Am.  7  :  4.    The  words  that  coucheth  seem  to  have  been  borrowed  from 
Dt.  33  :  13.    The  third  class  of  blessings  are  those  of  the  breasts,  and 
of  the  womb,  the  young  of  men  and  animals.    Two  of  these  three  classes 
are  found  in  Dt.  33  :  13,  but  differently  presented  as  parts  of  a  more 
elaborate  catalogue  of  good  things. 

26.  The  first  line  should  include  the  first  two  words  of  the  second 

365 


49  :  27  GENESIS 


1  Unto  °the  utmost  bound  *f  of  the  everlasting  hills 2 : 
They  shall  be  on  the  head  of  Joseph, 
And  on  the  crown  of  the  head  of  him  that  was  ^sep- 
arate from 3  his  brethren. 
27.  Benjamin  is  a  wolf  that  ravineth: 

In  the  °morning  he  shall  devour  the  prey, 
And  at  even  he  shall  divide  the  spoil. 


'  Gr.  And  to  the  blessings;  Vg.  Until  there  come  the  desire.  •  Gr.  divinities. 
3  m.  prince  among ;  Gr.  leader  of. 

as  they  are  here  divided.  A  key  to  the  meaning  of  the  passage  is 
found  in  Ps.  103  :  u,  "  As  heaven  is  high  above  the  earth,  so  great," 
etc.  For  my  progenitors  Unto  read,  with  the  Greek  Version,  the 
enduring  mountains,  as  in  Dt.  33  :  15.  For  the  utmost  bound  read, 
in  harmony  with  the  same  passage,  the  treasures,  lit.  the  desire.  These 
suggestions  require  very  slight  changes  in  the  Hebrew  text,  but  they 
make  a  great  improvement  in  the  sense.  Thus  emended,  the  lines 
read : 

The  blessings  of  thy  father  have  surpassed  (will  surpass) 
The  blessings  of  the  enduring  mountains, 
The  treasures  of  the  everlasting  hills. 

The  blessings,  treasures,  that  the  writer  here  has  in  mind  are  the 
mineral  wealth  of  the  earth.  See  Jb.  28  :  i  ff.,  especially  v.  9.  The 
things  promised  Joseph  are  greater  than  this  entire  hoard.  Sepa- 
rate from.  Better,  consecrated  among,  the  prince  of  the  sons  of 
Jacob.  The  last  two  lines  are  repeated  almost  verbatim  in  Dt.  33  :  16. 
Nothing  could  be  more  whole-hearted  than  this  blessing.  On  the 
supposition  that  the  whole  composition,  with  the  exception  of  vs. 
10  and  18,  is  a  unit,  it  is  clear  that  it  would  not  have  been  incor- 
porated into  the  Judean  narrative,  unless  there  was  a  strong  desire 
to  please  and  win,  or  hold,  the  tribes  that  traced  their  descent  from 
Joseph.  Such  a  sentiment  can  hardly  have  existed  after  the  divi- 
sion of  the  kingdom,  but  it  was  precisely  the  means  to  secure  the 
object  that  David  had  in  view  when  he  succeeded  Saul  as  the  cham- 
pion of  his  people.  See  2  Sam.  2:9;  3  :  12  ff.,  51  ff. 

(k)  Benjamin,  27.  An  insatiate  spoUer.  Morning  .  .  .  even; 
always  the  same  in  spirit  and  conduct.  This  is  such  a  representa- 
tion of  Benjamin  as  one  would  expect  after  reading  the  account  of 
the  tribe  given  in  Jud.  19  ff.,  its  lawlessness,  its  immorality,  and  its 
desperate  valor. 

366 


GENESIS 


28.  All  these  are  the  twelve  tribes1  of  Israel2:   and  this   R 
is  it  that  their  father  spake  unto  them  |  °and  blessed  P 
them;    every  one  according  to  his  blessing  he  blessed 

29.  them.    And  he  3 charged  them,  and3  said  unto  them,  I 
am  to  be  gathered  unto  my  people:   bury  me  with  my 
fathers  in  the  cave  that  is  in  the  field  of  Ephron  the 

30.  Hittite,  in  the  cave  4  that  is  in  the  field 4  5  of  Mach- 
pelah,5  which  is  before  Mamre,  in  the  land  of  Canaan, 
which  Abraham  bought  *  with  the  field  f  from  Ephron 

31.  the  Hittite  for  a  possession  of  a  buryingplace :    there 
they  buried  Abraham  and  Sarah  his  wife;    there  they 
buried  Isaac    and  Rebekah  his    wife;    and    there    6I 

32.  buried  Leah  6:  |  the  field  and  the  cave  that  is  therein,   R 
which   was  purchased  from  the  children  of  Heth.  | 

33.  And  when  Jacob  made  an  end  of  charging  his  sons,  |   P 


1  Gr.  sons.      »  Gr.  Jacob.      3  Gr.  om.      *  Gr.  Vg.  om.      s  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  double. 
*Gr.  they,  etc.;  Vg.  Leah  lies  entombed. 


(d)  The  death  and  burial  of  Jacob,  49 :  28-50 :  13.  Having 
blessed  his  sons,  and  charged  them  to  bury  him  with  his  fathers, 
Jacob  dies  and  Joseph  has  him  embalmed  after  the  Egyptian  custom. 
When  these  ceremonies  are  completed,  Joseph  secures  leave  of  ab- 
sence from  his  sovereign,  goes  up  to  Canaan  with  a  great  company 
of  Hebrews  and  Egyptians,  and  dutifully  deposits  the  body  of  his 
father  in  the  cave  of  Machpelah.  The  sources  on  which  the  com- 
piler drew  for  this  paragraph  were  first  the  Priestly  and  then  the 
Judean  narrative. 

28.  The  first  part  of  this  verse  is  an  editorial  addition  designed  to 
connect  the  blessing  from  the  Judean  narrative  with  a  new  version 
by  the  Priestly  writer  of  Jacob's  charge  concerning  his  burial.  And 
blessed  them  is  supposed  to  be  the  continuation  of  a  sentence  begun 
in  49  :  i. 

29  f.    On  the  cave  of  Machpelah  see  23  :  17  ff. 

32.  This  verse,  which  is  parenthetical,   should  be  rendered,  the 
purchase  of  the  field  and  the  cave  that  is  therein  from  the  children  of 
Heth.     It  is  probably,  however,  a  late  addition,  based  on  23  :  20. 
In  the  Vulgate  it  is  entirely  omitted. 

33.  On  the  expression  gathered  up  his  feet  see  47  :  31  and  48  :  2, 

367 


50  :  i  GENESIS 


P          he  °gathered  up  his  feet  into  the  bed,  |  and  yielded  up  the 

J   50.  ghost,  and  was  gathered  unto  his  people.  |  And  Joseph 

fell  upon  his  father's  face,  and  wept  upon  him,  and 

2.  °kissed   him.     And   Joseph   commanded   his   servants 
the  physicians  °to  embalm  his  father:    and 'the  physi- 

3.  cians  embalmed  Israel.     And  °forty  days  were  fulfilled 
for  him;    for  so  are  fulfilled  the  days  of  embalming: 
and  the  Egyptians  wept  for  him  threescore  and  ten 

4.  days.     And  when  the  days  of  weeping  for  him  were  past, 
Joseph  spake  unto  the  house  of  Pharaoh,  saying,  If  now 
I  have  found  grace  *  in  your  eyes,  speak,  I  pray  you,  in 

5.  the  ears  of  Pharaoh,  saying,  My  father  °made  me  swear,2 


SV  favor.      *  Sam.  Gr.  mss.  add,  before  he  died. 


where  there  are  other  references  to  the  couch  on  which  Jacob  sat 
or  lay. 

50  :  i.  Kissed  him.  There  is  no  trace  here  of  the  dread  of  un- 
cleanness  from  contact  with  the  dead  which  haunted  the  later  He- 
brews. See  Lev.  19  (P). 

2.  To  embalm  his  father.     Long  before  the  time  of  Joseph  em- 
balming had  become  an  art  in  Egypt.     In  the  reign  of  Pepi  III., 
when  a  favorite  of  the  king  was  killed  in  battle,  there  was  sent  "  a 
whole  company  of  royal  embalmers,"  here  incorrectly  called  physi- 
cians, "  undertakers,  mourners,  and  mortuary  priests,  with  a  liberal 
supply  of  fine  linen,  that  they  might  immediately  embalm  the  body 
of  the  deceased  noble  and  proceed  to  the  interment  "   (Breasted, 
Hist.  Egypt,  140  f.).     Later  the  custom  of  embalming  spread  greatly 
among  the  middle  classes,  and  the  embalmers  and  these  of  related 
occupations  at  Thebes  had  a  quarter  to  themselves. 

3.  Forty  here  seems  to  be  a  round  number.    There  was  no  fixed 
term,  the  time  varying  with  different  cases ;    so  also  the  period  of 
mourning.     In  the  story  of  "Sitna  and  the  Magic  Book"  the  body  is 
laid  in  the  good  house  for  sixteen  days  (for  treatment),  then  wrapped 
to  the  thirty-fifth  day,  and  finally  laid  out  (in  state)  until  the  seventieth. 
The  forty  are  doubtless  included  in  the  threescore  and  ten  days.    Thus 
the  time  devoted  to  mourning  would  be  thirty  days,  as  in  the  cases 
of  Moses  and  Aaron.    See  Dt.  34:8;  Num.  20  :  29.    See  further  v.  10. 

5.  On  my  grave  see  47  :  30  and  the  comments.  Made  me  swear. 
The  Samaritans  add,  before  he  died,  which  may  well  have  been  a 
part  of  the  original  text. 

363 


GENESIS 


saying,  1  Lo,  I  die  1 :  in  °my  grave  which  I  have  digged 
for  me  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  there  shalt  thou  bury  me. 
Now  therefore  let  me  go  up,  I  pray  thee,  and  bury  my 

6.  father,2  and  I  will  come  again.     And  Pharaoh  said,  Go 
up,  and  bury  thy  father,  according  as  he  made  thee 

7.  swear.     And  Joseph  went  up  to  bury  his  father:    and 
with  him  went  up  all  the  servants  of  Pharaoh,  °the 3 
elders  of  his  house,  and  all  °the  elders  of  the  land  of 

8.  Egypt,  and  all  °the  house  of  Joseph,  and4  his  breth- 
ren, °5  and  his  father's  house  5 :    only  their  little  ones, 
and  their  flocks,  and  their  herds,  they  left  in  the  land  of 

9.  Goshen.     And  there  went  up  with  him  both  °chariots 

10.  and  horsemen:  and  it  was  a  very  great  company.     And 
they  came  to  °the  threshing-floor  of  Atad,  *  which  is 
°beyond  Jordan,6f    and   there   they  lamented  with   a 
very 7  great  and  sore  lamentation :    and  he  made  a 

11.  mourning  for  his  father  °seven  days.     And  when  the  in- 

1  Gr.  om.  '  Sam.  adds,  as  he  made  me  swear.  3  Gr.  Syr.  and  the.  *  Sam.  orrr 
x  Gr.  and  all  his  father's  house;  Vg.  om.;  Syr.  adds,  went  up  with  him.  6SV  the 
Jordan.  '  Vg.  Syr.  om. 

7.  The  elders  of  his  house ;   the  high  officials  of  his  court.     The 
elders  of  the  land  ;    perhaps  the  monarchs,  etc. 

8.  The  house  of  Joseph  ;   his  official  train.     And  his  father's  house, 
if  it  is  a  genuine  part  of  the  text,  can  only  refer  to  the  servants,  of 
Jacob.    There  were  probably  no  women  in  the  company. 

9.  Chariots  and  horsemen.     Chariots  were  introduced  into  Egypt, 
with  horses,  by  the  Hyksos,  but  thus  far  no  evidence  has  been  found 
that  the  Egyptians  of  Joseph's  time  had  cavalry. 

10.  The  threshing-floor  of  Atad  is  here    located  beyond  the  (SV) 
Jordan.    This  has  been  taken  to  mean  that  it  was  on  the  eastern 
side  of  the  river.     According  to  v.  n,  however,  it  was  in  Canaan. 
It  is  therefore  probable  that  the  latter  phrase  is  a  gloss  by  a  later 
writer  whose  standpoint,  real  or  assumed,  was  on   the  other   side. 
See  i  Kgs.  4  :  24  (5  :  4).     The  duration  of   the   mourning  at  this 
place  was  seven  days.     See  i  Sam.  31  :  13. 

,    ii.  The  meaning  of  the  name  Abel-mizraim  is  Meadow  of  Egypt ; 
but,  since  the  consonants  of  the  word  for  meadow  are  the  same  as 
2B  369 


GENESIS 


habitants  of  the  land,  the  Canaanites,  saw  the  mourning 
in  the  floor  of  Atad,  they  said,  This  is  a  grievous  mourn- 
ing to  the  Egyptians:  wherefore  the  name  of  it1  was 
called  °Abel-mizraim,2  *  which  is  beyond  Jordan.f  | 

P  12.  And  his  sons  did  unto  him  3  according  as  he  commanded 
13.  them3:  for  his  sons  carried  him4  into  the  land  of 
Canaan,  and  buried  him  in  °the  5  cave  of  the  field  of 
Machpelah  5  which  Abraham  bought  *6  with  the  field, 8f 
for  a  possession  of  a  buryingplace,  of  Ephron  the  Hittite, 
°before  Mamre. 

J  14.  And  Joseph  returned  into  Egypt,  he,  and  his  breth- 
ren, and  all  that  went  up  with  him  to  bury  his  father, 

E  15.  *8  after  he  had  buried  his  father.°f  |  And  when  Jo- 
seph's brethren  saw  that  their  father  was  dead,  they7 

1  Vg.  that  place.  •  Gr.  Vg.  Mourning  of  Egypt.  J  Gr.  thus.  *  Syr.  adds,  and 
brought  him.  *  Gr.  Vg.  double  cave;  cave  of  the  double  field.  «  Gr.  om.  7  Vg. 
Syr.  add,  feared  and. 

those  of  the  one  just  used  for  mourning,  the  author  finds  in  the  name 
a  memorial  of  the  scene  he  has  described.  See  the  Greek  and  Latin 
Versions,  in  which  the  name  is  rendered  Mourning  of  Egypt. 

12.  The  fact  that  Joseph  and  his  company  spent  a  week  at  Atad 
suggests  that,  according  to  the  Judean  narrative,  Jacob  was  buried 
there.  This  inference  the  compiler  forbids  by  introducing  here  a 
statement  from  his  Priestly  source  to  the  effect  that  his  sons  buried 
him  in  the  cave  of  Machpelah,  before,  to  the  east  of,  Mamre. 

(7)    The  later  years  of  Joseph,  50  :  14-26 

The  history  of  Jacob  would  naturally  close  with  his  death,  but 
Joseph  has  been  so  prominent  in  it  that  his  career,  also,  is  followed 
to  its  end. 

(a)  Joseph  and  his  brethren,  50  :  14-21.  When  Joseph  returns 
to  Egypt  his  brothers  expect  him  to  avenge  himself  on  them,  but 
he  quiets  their  fears  and  promises  to  continue  to  sustain  and  protect 
them.  The  main  source  is  the  Ephraimite,  but  there  are  frag- 
ments from  the  Judean,  narrative. 

14.  The  last  clause,  which  is  wanting  in  the  Greek  Version,  is 
probably  a  scribal  addition. 

15.  Joseph  will  hate  us.  The  word  rendered  hate,  which  means 

37° 


GENESIS  50  : 20 


said,  It  may  be  that  ° Joseph  will  *  hate  us,1  and  will 
fully  2  requite  us  all  the  evil 3  which  we  did  unto  him. 

1 6.  And  they  °4  sent  a  message 4  unto  Joseph,  saying,  Thy 

17.  father  did  command5  °before  he  died,  saying,  So  shall 
ye  say  unto  Joseph,  ° Forgive,  I  pray  thee   now,  the  8 
transgression  7of  thy  brethren,7  and  their  sin,  for  that 
they  did  unto  thee  evil 3 :   and  now,  we  pray  thee,  for- 
give the  transgression  of  the  servants  of  the  God  of  thy 
father.     And  Joseph  wept  when  they  spake  unto  him.  | 

18.  And  8  his  brethren  °also  *  went  and  fell  down  before  j 
his  face 8 ;  and  they  said,  Behold,  we  be 9  thy  servants.  | 

19.  And  Joseph  said  unto  them,  Fear  not :  for  10  o11  am  I  in  the  E 

20.  place  of  God  10  ?     And  as  for  you,  °ye  meant  evil  against 
me ;  but  °God  meant  it  for  good,  to  bring  to  pass,  as  it 

1  Vg.  remember  the  harm  he  suffered.  '  Vg.  Syr.  om.  J  Gr.  plu.  «  Gr.  Syr. 
drew  near.  *  Gr.  require  an  oath.  6  Gr.  their.  i  Gr.  om.  8  Gr.  they  went. 
9  SV  are.  10  Sam.  om.  "  Gr.  /  am  God's;  Vg.  Can  we  resist  the  will  of  God? 
Syr.  /  am ,  etc. 


hold  a  grudge  against,  is  the  same  that  in  49  :  23  is  translated  perse- 
cute. 

16.  For   sent   a  message  read  drew  near.     See  the  variants.     If 
there  was   any   record  of   the   instructions  given   the  brothers  for 
Joseph,  before  he  died,  it  has  not  been  preserved. 

17.  Forgive,  I  pray  thee.    The  words  are  at  the  same  time  a  mes- 
sage from   Jacob   and  a  confession   by   the  guilty   brothers.    The 
brothers  adopt  them,   resting  their  plea  for  forgiveness,   not,   like 
Jacob,  on  the  tie  of  blood  between  them,  but  on  allegiance  to  the 
same  God. 

1 8.  The  story  now  receives  a  setback.    The  brothers  have  already 
presented  their  plea,  yet  here  they  are  introduced  as  if  they  were  just 
going  to  the  interview.    This  discrepancy,  like  so  many  others,  is 
explained  by  the  composite  character  of  the  story.    This  verse  is 
from  the  Judean,  v.  17  from  the  Ephraimite,  narrative.    The  word 
also  is  an  editorial  device  for  uniting  them. 

19.  Am  I  in  the  place  of  God  ?    to  judge  and  punish  as  he  alone 
has  the  wisdom  and  the  authority  to  do. 

20.  Ye   meant   evil.     He   cannot   forget   their   wickedness.     God 
meant  it  for  good.     See  45  :  5  ff. 


GENESIS 


J  21.  is  this  day,  to  save  much  people  alive.  |  1  Now  there- 
fore 1  fear  ye  not :  I  will  nourish  you,  and  your  little 
ones.  And  he  comforted  them,  and  spake  kindly  unto 
them. 

J  22.  And  Joseph  dwelt  in  Egypt,  he,  and  2  his  father's 
house:  and  Joseph  lived  °an  hundred  and  ten  years.  | 

E  23.  And  Joseph  saw  Ephraim's  children  °of  the  third  gen- 
eration: the  children  also  of  °Machir  the  son  of  Ma- 

24.  nasseh  were  born  3  upon  °  Joseph's  knees.3    And  Joseph 
said  unto  his  brethren,  I  die :   but  God  will  surely  visit 
you,  and  bring  you  up  out  of  this  land  unto  the  land 
which  he  sware 4  to  Abraham,  to  5  Isaac,  and  to  Jacob. 

25.  And  Joseph  took  an  oath  of  the  children  of  Israel,  say- 
ing, °God  will  surely  visit  you,  6  and  ye  shall 6  carry  up 


1  Gr.  And  he  said  to  them;  Vg.  om.  "  Gr.  adds,  his  brethren,  and;  Syr.  adds, 
all.  3  Sam.  in  Joseph's  days;  Gr.  on  Joseph's  thighs;  Tar.  and  Joseph  reared 
them.  *  Gr.  adds,  unto  our  fathers,  *  Syr.  and  to.  6  Syr.  om. 

21.  This  verse  is  a  continuation  of  v.  18.    The  connection  between 
the  two  would  be  improved  by  reading,  with  the  Greek  Version, 
And  he  said  unto  them,  Fear  not. 

(b)  The  death  of  Joseph,  50  :  22-26.  Joseph  lives  to  a  good  old 
age,  and  dies,  promising  his  brethren  that  they  shall  be  restored  to 
Canaan  and  pledging  them  to  carry  his  body  thither  for  burial.  The 
first  verse  is  from  the  Judean,  the  rest  from  the  Ephraimite,  nar- 
rative. 

22.  An  hundred  and  ten  years.     Joseph  did  not  live  as  long  as  his 
progenitors,  but  he  reached  the  age  which,  in  Egypt,  was  regarded 
as  the  most  perfect  that  could  be  desired. 

23.  Of  the  third  generation ;    his  grandchildren.     Machir  the  son 
of  Manasseh.    Manasseh  had  possessions  on  both  sides  of  the  Jor- 
dan.    Machir  settled  in  Gilead.     See  Num.  32  :  40;    Dt.  3  :  15.     In 
Num.  26  :  29;    27  :  i;  Josh.   17  :  i,  3  Gilead  is  the  son  of  Machir. 
On  the  expression  Joseph's  knees  see  30  :  3. 

25.  God  will  surely  visit  you,  and  ye  shall.  Better,  when  God 
•visits  you,  as  he  surely  will,  then  shall  ye,  etc.  On  the  desire  to  be 
buried  in  Canaan,  see  47  :  30  f .  At  the  end  of  the  verse  add,  with 
the  Versions,  with  you. 

372 


GENESIS  50  : 26 


26.  my  bones  from  hence.1  So  Joseph  died,  being  an 
hundred  and  ten  years  old:  and  they  embalmed  him, 
and  he  was  put  in  a  °comn  in  Egypt. 

1  Gr.  Vg.  Syr.  add,  with  you. 

26.  The  coffin  for  Joseph  was  the  usual  mummy-case  into  which 
the  Egyptians  put  the  bodies  of  their  dead.  When  the  Hebrews 
left  Egypt,  according  to  Ex.  13  :  19,  the  promise  made  to  Joseph 
was  fulfilled.  Later  his  body  is  said  to  have  been  buried  in  the  parcel 
of  ground  that  Jacob  bought  of  the  sons  of  Hamor.  See  33  :  19 ; 
Josh.  24  :  32.  The  traditional  site  of  his  tomb  is  marked  by  a  little 
building,  at  the  eastern  entrance  to  the  valley  in  which  Shechem 
was  situated,  where  Jews  to  this  day  burn  offerings  in  his  honor. 


373 


APPENDIX 


NOTE  A.     Comparative  Chronology  of  the  Antediluvians 


SAMARITAN 


HEBREW 


GREEK 


Adam  .  . 

130  800  930  930 

130  800  930  930 

230  700  93°  93° 

Seth  .  .  . 

105  807912  1042 

105  807  912  1042 

205  707  912  1142 

Enoch  .  . 

90  815  905  1140 

90  815  905  1140 

190  715  905  1340 

Kenan  .  . 

70  840  910  1235 

70  840  910  1235 

170  740  910  1535 

Mahalalel  . 

65  830895  1290 

65  830  895  1290 

165  730  895  1690 

Jered   .  . 

62  785  847  1307 

162  800  962  1422 

162  800  962  1922 

Enoch  .  . 

65  3°°  365  887 

65  300  365  987 

165  200  365  1487 

Methuselah 

67  653  720  1307 

187  782  969  1656 

167  802  969  2256 

Lemech  .  . 

53  600  653  1307 

182  595  777  1651 

188  565  753  2207 

Noah   .  . 

500  450  950  1657 

500  450  950  2006 

500  450  950  2592 

The  Flood  . 

1307 

1656 

2242 

In  this  table  the  figures  of  chapter  1 1  according  to  the  Massoretic  and 
Samaritan  texts  and  the  Greek  Version  are  compared.  In  each  case 
are  given  the  number  of  years  before  and  after  the  birth  of  the  first 
child,  the  total,  and  the  date  of  the  given  patriarch's  death.  A  glance 
is  enough  to  show  that,  of  the  three  systems,  the  Samaritan  is  the 
simplest  and  most  consistent.  It  is  also  most  easily  interpreted.  It 
teaches  that  at  first  mankind  pretty  nearly  maintained  their  originally 
"good"  character,  but  that  with  Jered,  whose  name  (Descent)  is 
ominous,  there  began  a  period  of  degeneration  in  which  Enoch  and 
Noah  were  the  only  exceptions,  and  to  which  God  put  an  end  1307 
A.M.  by  the  Flood.  From  this  point  of  view  the  Hebrew  system,  also, 
becomes  intelligible.  The  variations  from  the  other  which  it  con- 
tains, it  will  be  observed,  concern  only  Jered,  Methuselah,  and  Le- 
mech, all  of  whom,  according  to  the  Samaritans,  perished  in  the  Flood ; 
and  they  are  so  managed  that  only  one  of  the  three  dies  in  the  year 
of  the  great  catastrophe,  and  the  exceptional  length  of  his  life  forbids 
the  reader  to  regard  his  death  as  a  penalty.  The  explanation  is  not 
far  to  seek.  These  changes  were  made  after  the  book  of  Genesis  was 
compiled  to  convey  the  idea  of  their  author  that  it  was  the  Cainites 
who  were  responsible  for  the  Flood,  and  that  Noah  was  spared  be- 
cause he  represented  the  pious  line  of  Seth.  The  new  figures  were 
borrowed  from  the  Greek  Version  in  which  they  probably  represented 
an  Egyptian  view  of  the  duration  of  the  antediluvian  period. 

375 


APPENDIX 


NOTE  B.     The  Table  of  the  Nations 


Japeth 


Noah 


Ham 


Shem 


Ashkenaz 

Gomer     < 

Riphath 

Magog 

Togarmah 

Madai 

Elishah 

Javan 

Tarshish 
Kittim 

Meshech 

Rodanim 

Tiras 

Seba 

Havilah 

Cush 

Sabtah          fc,    , 
T,            i         J  one  Da 
Raamah       {  D  d  n 

r*     t   A                        »  -LJCCitill 

Sabteca 

Nimrod 

Ludim 

Anamim                                 . 

Lehabim 

Mizraim 

Naphtuhim 

Pathrusim 

Casluhim 

Caphtorim 

Sidon 

Heth 

Amorite 

Girgashite 

Canaan   • 

Hivite 
Arkite 

Sinite 
Arvadite 
Zemarite 
Hamathite 

Almodad 
Sheleph 
Hazermaveth 
Jerah 

Elam 

Hadoram 

Asshur                                        r  p, 
Arpachshad—  Shelah  —  Eber  {  j*g|n, 

Uzal 
Diklah 

Obal 

Lud 

Abimael 

fUz 

Sheba 

Ophir 

Aram      •<  Qe^er 

Havilah 

[Mash 

Ijobab 

376 


APPENDIX 


NOTE  C.     The  Line  of  Shem 


HEBREW 


SAMARITAN 


GREEK 


Shem  .  .  .  ioo  500  600  500    100  500  600  500  100  500  600  500 
Arpachshad  35  403  438  438    135  303  438  438  ^35  43<>  565  565 
Kenan   .  .                            130  330  460  595 
Shelah   .  .  30  403  433  468     130  303  435  568  130  330  460  725 

Eber  .  . 

.  34  430  464  529(469)  134  270  404  669  134  370  504  899 

Peleg  .  . 

.  30  209  239  338     130  109  239  638  130  209  339  868 

Rcu  .  . 

.  32  207  239  368     132  107  239  768  132  207  339  998 

Serug  .  . 

.  30  200  230  391     130  ioo  230  881  130  200  330  1  121 

Nahor 

.  29  no  148  339     79  69  148  939  79  129  208  1129 

Terah  .  . 

.  7°  i35  205  425  (365)  7°  75  J45  Joi5  7°  *35  205  1205 

In  the  first  column  in  each  division  is  given  the  length  of  the  first 
period,  in  the  second  that  of  the  second,  in  the  third  the  total,  and  in 
the  fourth  the  date  of  the  given  patriarch's  death  after  the  Flood. 
The  figures  are  not  so  large  in  this  as  in  the  first  table,  but  many  of 
them  exceed  the  limits  of  credibility.  Moreover,  the  scheme  as  a 
whole  contradicts  the  teachings  of  history  as  well  as  modern  experi- 
ence. For  example,  according  to  the  received  text,  none  of  the  sup- 
posed persons  in  the  list,  or  indeed  Noah,  died  until  Abraham  was 
forty -seven  years  old ;  while  six  of  the  nine  were  still  living  when  he 
migrated  to  Canaan,  and  Shem  survived  until  Jacob  had  reached  the 
age  of  fifty.  Yet  there  is  not  the  slightest  reference  in  biblical  his- 
tory to  any  of  them  except  Terah,  who,  as  will  be  shown,  died  just 
before  Abraham  took  his  departure  from  Haran.  This  genealogy, 
therefore,  is  not  history,  but,  like  chapter  5,  a  substitute  for  history  by 
which  the  author  connected  his  account  of  the  Flood  with  what  he 
had  to  say  about  Abraham.  Where  he  got  his  names  there  seems  to 
be  no  means  of  learning. 


377 


APPENDIX 


NOTE  D.     The  Sons  of  Benjamin 


HEBREW 


GREEK 


Num.  26 : 38  ff. 


Bela        Bela 


Gera  }  Ard 

Naaman 

Ahi  np]fl  y  Ard 

Rosh  bela}  Naaman 

Muppim 

Huppim 


Bela 


iChr.  7:6ff.           i  Chr.  8:  iff. 

Addar 

^ 

Gera 

'  Esbon 

Abihu 

Uzzi 

A  bishua 

Uzzel                TS  < 
Jerimoth          W 

Naaman 
Ahoah 

r  •  c  Shuppim 
Irt  I  Huppim 

Gera 
Shephuphan 

^Huram 

Becher      Chobor 


Ashbel     Ashbel 


Gera 
Naaman 
Ahi 
Rosh 

Muppim 

Huppim 
Ard 


(wanting) 


Ashbel 


(wanting) 

Ahiram 

Shephupham 

Hupham 


Becher 


Jediael 


fZemirah 
Joash 
Eliezer 
Elioenai 
Omri 
Jeremoth 
A  bijah 
Anathoth 

^Alemelh 


(wanting) 


Jeush 
Benjamin 
Ehud 
Che- 

naanah 
Zethan 
Tarshish 
Ahishahar 


Ashbel 


(Aher — Hushim) 


Aharah 
Nohah 

Rapha 


378 


INDEX 


Abram,  migration  of,  108. 
Antediluvians,  chronology  of,  375. 
Ark,  Noah's,  70. 

Chronology    of    the    antediluvians, 

375- 

Creation,  soberness  of    account  of, 
46. 

Deity,  names  of,  in  J,  6;   E,  u,  12; 

P,  17. 
force  of  plural  Elohim,  35. 

Eden,  41. 

rivers  in,  41,  42. 
Elohim,  in  E,  n,  12. 

force  of  plural,  35. 
Ephramite  Document  (E),  n  ff. 

analysis  of,  14-15. 
Esau,  wives  of,  267. 

Fall,  the  motive  of   the  account  of, 

53- 
Flood,  Babylonian  account  of,  79. 

Genealogies,     of     descendants     of 
Shem,  377. 

of  descendants  of  Benjamin,  378. 

of  Cainites,  60,  63. 

historicity  of,  66,  339. 
Genesis,  analysis  of,  20-25. 

composite  nature  of,  2  ff. 


Hammurabi,  115. 


Joseph,  critical  estimate  of  account 
of,  283. 

Egyptian  parallel,  293. 
Judean  Document  (J),  5  ff. 

analysis  of,  8— 10. 

LORD,  39. 
Lot's  wife,  149. 

Machpelah,  cave  of,  172. 

Mahanaim,  243. 

Moses,  relation  to  Genesis,  3  ff. 

Names  of  Jacob's  sons,  meaning  of, 

221. 
Nations,  table  of,  376. 

Piece  of  silver,  value  of,  156. 
Priestly  Document  (P),  16. 

analysis  of,  18,  19. 

how  combined  with  JED,  19. 

Redactor,  first  (R  or  RJ),  16. 
second  (RD),  16. 

Serpent,  46. 

Shekel,  value  of,  178. 

Shiloh,  359. 

Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  104. 

World,  early  conception  of,  98. 
nations  of,  376. 


Yahveh,  name  of  the  Deity  in  J,  6. 


379 


The  Bible  for 
Home  and  School 


SHAILER  MATHEWS,  General  Editor 


HEBREWS 

By  E.  J.  GOODSPEED 

ACTS 

By  GEORGE  H.  GILBERT 

GALATIANS 

By  B.  W.  BACON 

GENESIS 

By  H.  G.  MITCHELL 

I  SAMUEL 

By  L.  W.  BATTEN 

PSALMS 

By  J.  P.  PETERS 

ISAIAH 

By  JOHN  E.  MCFADYEN 

AMOS,  HOSEA,  and  MICAH 

ByJ.  M.  P.  SMITH 

JOHN 

By  SHAILER  MATHEWS 

ROMANS 

By  E.  I.  BOSWORTH 

EPHESIANS  and  COLOSSIANS 

By  GROSS  ALEXANDER 


jo  cents ;  by  mail,  53  cents 

7JT  cents;   by  mail,  82  cents 

Now  ready 

Now  ready 

In  preparation 

In  preparation 

In  preparation 

In  preparation 

In  preparation 

In  preparation 

In  preparation 


The  chief  characteristics  of  the  new  series  are  its  use  of  the  Revised  Version 
in  1881,  its  exclusion  of  all  processes  from  the  notes,  the  briefness  of  its  expla- 
nations, and  its  general  sympathy  with  the  best  that  is  in  modern  Bible  study. 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

64-66  FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK 


NEW  TESTAMENT  HANDBOOKS 

Each  $1.00  net 

EDITED    BY 

SHAILER  MATHEWS 

Professor  of  New   Testament  History  and  Interpretation, 
University  of  Chicago 

The  History  of  the  Textual  Criticism  of  the  New  Testament 

Prof.  MARVIN  R.  VINCENT,  Professor  of  New  Testament  Exegesis,  Union 

Theological  Seminary. 

Professor  Vincent's  contributions  to  the  study  of  the  New  Testament  rank  him 
among  the  first  American  exegetes.  His  most  recent  publication  is  "A  Critical 
and  Exegetical  Commentary  on  the  Epistles  to  the  Philippians  and  to  Philemon  " 
("  International  Critical  Commentary  "),  which  was  preceded  by  a  "  Students'  New 
Testament  Handbook,"  "  Word  Studies  in  the  New  Testament,"  and  others. 

The  History  of  the  Higher  Criticism  of  the  New  Testament 

Prof.  HENRY  S.  NASH,  Professor  of  New  Testament   Interpretation,  Cam- 
bridge Divinity  School. 

Of  Professor  Nash's  "  Genesis  of  the  Social  Conscience,"  The  Outlook  said : 
"  The  results  of  Professor  Nash's  ripe  thought  are  presented  in  a  luminous,  com- 
pact, and  often  epigrammatic  style.  The  treatment  is  at  once  masterful  and  help- 
ful, and  the  book  ought  to  be  a  quickening  influence  of  the  highest  kind  ;  it  surely 
will  establish  the  fame  of  its  author  as  a  profound  thinker,  one  from  whom  we  have 
a  right  to  expect  future  inspiration  of  a  kindred  sort." 

Introduction  to  the  Books  of  the  New  Testament 

Prof.  B.  WISNER  BACON,  Professor  of  New  Testament  Interpretation,  Yale 

University. 

Professor  Bacon's  works  in  the  field  of  Old  Testament  criticism  include  "  The 
Triple  Tradition  of  Exodus,"  and  "  The  Genesis  of  Genesis,"  a  study  of  the  docu- 
mentary sources  of  the  books  of  Moses.  In  the  field  of  New  Testament  study  he 
has  published  a  number  of  brilliant  papers,  the  most  recent  of  which  is  "  The 
Autobiography  of  Jesus,"  in  the  American  Journal  of  Theology. 

The  History  of  New  Testament  Times  in  Palestine 

Prof.  SHAILER  MATHEWS,  Professor  of  New  Testament  History  and  Inter- 
pretation, The  University  of  Chicago. 

The  Congregationalist  says  of  Prof.  Shailer  Mathews's  "  The  Social  Teaching 
of  Jesus  "  :  "  Re-reading  deepens  the  impression  that  the  author  is  scholarly,  devout, 
awake  to  all  modern  thought,  and  yet  conservative  and  preeminently  sane.  If, 
after  reading  the  chapters  dealing  with  Jesus'  attitude  toward  man,  society,  the 
family,  the  state,  and  wealth,  the  reader  will  not  agree  with  us  in  this  opinion,  we 
greatly  err  as  prophets." 

THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

64-66  FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YOBK 


NEW  TESTAMENT  HANDBOOKS  —  Continued 


The  Teaching  of  Jesus 

Prof.    GEORGE    B.     STEVENS,     Professor     of    Systematic     Theology,    Yale 
University. 

Professor  Stevens's  volumes  upon  "The  Johannine  Theology,"  "The  Pauline 
Theology,"  as  well  as  his  recent  volume  on  "  The  Theology  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment," have  made  him  probably  the  most  prominent  writer  on  biblical  theology  in 
America.  His  new  volume  will  be  among  the  most  important  of  his  works. 

The  Biblical  Theology  of  the  New  Testament 

Prof.  E.  P.  GOULD,  Professor  of  New  Testament  Interpretation,  Protestant 
Episcopal  Divinity  School,  Philadelphia. 

Professor  Gould's  Commentaries  on  the  Gospel  of  Mark  (in  the  "  International 
Critical  Commentary ")  and  the  Epistles  to  the  Corinthians  (in  the  "  American 
Commentary  ")  are  critical  and  exegetical  attempts  to  supply  those  elements  which 
are  lacking  in  existing  works  of  the  same  general  aim  and  scope. 

"An  excellent  series  of  scholarly,  yet  concise  and  inexpensive  New  Testament 
handbooks." —  Christian  Advocate,  New  York. 

"  These  books  are  remarkably  well  suited  in  language,  style,  and  price,  to  all 
students  of  the  New  Testament."  —  The  Congregationalist,  Boston. 


Also  by  SHAILER  MATHEWS 
The  Church  and  the  Changing  Order 

"  A  most  interesting  and  valuable  contribution  to  the  literature  of  a  subject 
that  is  growing  in  popular  attention  every  day.  While  among  the  deeply, 
really  religious  and  genuinely  scientific  there  is  no  conflict  or  antagonism 
where  even  there  is  not  accord,  this  unfortunately  is  not  commonly  the  case 
among  the  masses  who  have  only  caught  the  forms  of  religious  and  scientific 
.knowledge  without  their  spirit.  This  book  is  addressed  much  more  it  seems 
to  the  religious  than  the  scientific,  possibly  because  the  latter  have  the  less 
need  for  repentance.  Those  who  are  troubled  in  any  way  at  the  seeming 
conflict  between  the  demands  of  faith,  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  experiences 
of  their  own  reason  and  the  problems  of  modern  social  and  industrial  life 
will  find  here  much  sage,  illuminating,  and  practical  counsel."  —  Evening 
Post. 

Cloth,  I2mo,  $1.30  net 

THE   MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

64-66  FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK 


Complete  in  one  volume,  printed  in  clear  type  on  Croxley  Mills  Bible 
paper,  attractively  bound  in  cloth  or  leather,  with  gilt  top  and  title. 


THE 

Modem  Reader's  Bible 

The  Sacred  Scriptures  Presented  in 
Modern  Literary  Form 

Edited,  with  an  Introduction  and  Notes, 
by  RICHARD  G.  MOULTON,  M.A.,  Pn.D. 

Olive  green  cloth,  gilt  top,  $2.00  net ;  by  mail,  $2.17.     Limp 
morocco,  round  corners,  full  gilt,  $5.00  net  /    by  mail,  $j./7. 


"  The  '  Modern  Reader's  Bible '  is  altogether  admirable  and  of  special 
value."  —  HENRYC.  POTTER,  Bishop  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 

"To  the  student,  and  to  all  persons  who  relish  truth  in  its  finest 
form  of  expression,  it  is  a  positive  boon."  —  JOHN  F.  HURST,  Bishop 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

"  I  look  for  a  large  increase  of  interest  in  the  Bible,  for  a  much 
better  understanding  of  its  general  spirit  and  teaching,  and  especially 
fur  an  increased  appreciation  of  its  inspirational  power,  from  the 
publication  of  the  'Modern  Reader's  Bible.'"  —  LYMAN  ABBOTT, 
Editor  The  Outlook. 


PUBLISHED  BY 

THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

64-66  FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT, 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


REC'D  LD 


NnV  1  5  1953 


REC'D  LD 


4A 


LD  21-100m-6,'56 
(B9311slO)476 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


'•''-• 


Yg  2 1  £,32 


235419 


